Coral Sands Inn & Cottages

I have travelled to over 17 Caribbean islands and this by far is in my top 3! Gorgeous beach! Never have to worry about getting a chair by the beach or pool. The people (residents, staff, etc) are the friendliest! The resort is quiet, beautiful and just redone. I wouldn’t change a thing- except to stay longer the next time!

Set on a gorgeous beach, this hotel is very charming and ticks a lot of boxes. It has recently undergone a partial renovation and the lobby and dining rooms look great and very much on theme with the tropical meets colonial vibe. The bar is still WIP in my opinion in need of more furniture to fill the space. We stayed in a garden villa, Coral Vibe and it was quite charming. Spacious bathroom and nice ocean view with lovely balcony/terrace. The gym and tennis and pickle ball courts are fantastic. New equipment, newly renovated with a nice cold plunge. Charming courts too. Unfortunately there were a few things that we really did not enjoy. First the staff is not trained. Some are friendly and others are not. Many of them don’t have answers to basic questions which makes the service subpar at best. Waiters not knowing what’s in food, cleaning staff leaving random supplies in our room and others simply saying no more than is common at a resort. This is coupled with the fact that the prices are incredibly high. A cafe latte is $11, glass of juice is $9, cocktails $25. The food at the restaurant not great and again, very overpriced. Harbour Island in general is quite pricey but the quality to price ratio here was painfully off. Hoping the new owners will continue to address these things. Otherwise the property itself is quit lovely!

The property was immaculate! They redid it and outdid themselves. The staff was super friendly and went above and beyond! We can’t wait to go back!!

Nothing!!

Absolutely perfect vacation spot for my two teen daughters and me. The beach is stunning, the pool a delight and the staff was so friendly and accommodating. Delicious meals. The new design and decor was absolutely gorgeous!

The music on the beach is absolutely terrible and ruins the experience completely. We used to be loyal patrons of the beach bar and now try to stay as far away as possible. Those around us on the beach agreed that it needs to at least be turned down, if not turned off.

It's been a while since I've had a stay so awful at a luxury resort. We mistakenly booked Villa Botanica without reviewing the website description in detail. Here's the description we missed: "A rustic retreat just steps away from the resort, Villa Botanica is a classic three-bedroom Bahamian home surrounded by a lushly landscaped acre of verdant greens. This non-renovated escape is perfect for groups who want a casual stay away from all the bustle." Rustic and non-renovated are accurate, if not fully descriptive. I'll let the photos do the talking. However, the most significant issue was the staff here. Except for Emerald, who always greeted everyone with a smile, the rest of the staff were indifferent to us and most guests. Upon check-in, the front desk staff laughed under their breath when they discovered we were the suckers that had booked Villa Botanica. That's a nice first impression. Despite knowing our arrival time, the room wasn't ready and we were given keys and told it would be ready at 3:30p. We then asked for a printed itinerary for the activities we booked through the hotel and were almost laughed at. When we repeated the questions, they took it upon themselves to let us know they would see if it was possible. When we went to the room at 3:30 it still wasn't cleaned, and the pool was unusable. The manager and housekeeping staff were incredulous that we were there before they had a chance to inspect it themselves. This was despite following the 3:30p instructions we were given just a few hours earlier.. When we finally got settled and went for a shower, there was no hot water. Oops, sorry, there is hot water; you just have to turn the handle to the cold setting. The plumbing lines are connected improperly—we were informed by yet another incredulous staff member, this time from maintenance. More issues arose throughout the stay. The hotel has pool and beach service for food and beverage, but we were never offered beach service and instead got nothing more than an indignant attitude when we walked to the bar to ask for menus and a huff if we asked to have lunch at the pool or beach. One day the housekeeping director drove up in a golf cart while I was walking my daughter to the beach to inform me they wouldn't be cleaning our room that day because of staffing issues. While beautifully decorated and renovated, except for Villa Botanica, we won't be coming back to this resort because we felt like we were a nuisance to the staff at Coral Sands, not welcome guests.

Great all around

While there are a few kinks to still work out with respect to service and food and beverage offerings, the recent vibrant renovation of the Coral Sands that blends retro decor, whimsy, and new guest amenities is a welcome addition to the Harbour Island accommodation offerings.