The Island House
Lyford Cay, Nassau, The Bahamas
The Island House is a new boutique hotel set on 8 acres in Nassau, Bahamas, just outside the gates of Lyford Cay. We worked with the owners, a family office, to help structure their business plan and create a financially sustainable operation and were the architects and landscape architects for the entire property: a 30-key hotel, including a Spa, Fitness Facility and Movement Studio, a 48-seat Cinema, three Restaurants, and six private residences.
Planned to welcome both hotel guests and the local community, our design reflects an island lifestyle: spacious guestrooms and seamless indoor to outdoor living spaces. Set in a hilltop garden with sweeping views of the ocean, The Island House is a one-of-a-kind gathering spot that is sophisticated, luxurious, and authentically Bahamian.
Designed to be a gathering place for both hotel guests and the local community, The Island House is a unique center of life atop a hill at the gate of Lyford Cay.
Explore The Island House
Lobby
Visitors are welcomed into a comfortable living room spanning the depth of the building, seamlessly connecting the interior space with the exterior landscape. Large doors and expansive porches on either side offer views across Lyford Cay Marina and the pool, while creating a natural breezeway.
Landscape
The spectacular view of Lyford Cay Marina from the restaurant’s ocean-facing terrace is framed by the adjacent guestroom buildings and Event Lawn. The Event Lawn on the ocean side of the hotel regularly hosts events of all sizes and outdoor film screenings.
Restaurant
Freshly baked pastries and bread in the morning, a popular lunch spot and fully stocked bar in the evening, the Coffee Bar off the main “living room” welcomes guests and locals throughout the day with a relaxed dining experience overlooking the pool. With panoramic ocean views, Shima, the hotel’s top- floor restaurant, offers a sophisticated and relaxed open-air dining experience. The architecture accentuates a large frieze with a mural created by a local artist. A gracious porch overlooking Lyford Cay Marina provides outdoor dining options for visitors and guests.
Theater
A 48-seat Theater with comfortable lounge seating hosts regular film screenings for guests and the local community. Window coverings retract to allow natural light into the space, transforming it into a conference room.
Fitness
Wellness is a central theme of The Island House. Across an open lawn used for outdoor fitness classes, the Movement Studio offers Antigravity, spin, traditional yoga, pilates, and barre programs. The Fitness Facility, combining a diverse range of machines, free weights, and two squash courts, overlooks the 25 meter ‘fast’ pool. Three treatment rooms and salon offer Bamford Spa services, rounding out a wellness destination for the broader community.
The Island House
Set in a hilltop garden with sweeping views of the ocean, The Island House is a one-of-a-kind gathering spot that is authentically Bahamas, sophisticated and luxurious.