Rock House, Harbour Island, Bahamas

The pool and outdoor lounge area at Rock House.

To understand the appeal of Rock House Hotel & Restaurant, it helps to know a bit about its location. Harbour Island in the Bahamas is a magnet for the rich and famous who come for peace, privacy and pink sands.

Whether you’re a supermodel, rock star, a software billionaire or a member of the royal family, or just plain folk like us, the locals of the tiny barrier island, known as Briland, will treat you with the same warmth, kindness and hospitality.

Rock House has earned a well-deserved reputation for treating all its guests as VIPs. The small size (10 rooms) ensures that the team can quickly anticipate their guests’ needs and wants.

While most of Briland’s resorts are located on the Atlantic or Pink Sand Beach side, Rock House makes its home on the calm harbourside, a stone’s throw from the main dock. It’s a historic property and its past iterations include serving as a private home, a jail and a Catholic girls’ school (not at the same time!).

As many satisfied guests have commented, staying at Rock House feels like being a guest in a beautiful villa. If you want total privacy, you can stay in your comfortable room or if you crave some company, the bar lounge and pool are central headquarters, offering a casually chic atmosphere for breakfast, lunch and cocktails. The dining room is among the best on the island, offering traditional favourites such as lobster and pasta.

Rooms are cozy and we opted to stay in the Pineapple Room in the main building, which is one of a few that has a private terrace overlooking the bay. All rooms are charming and functional but best used as a place to sleep. The rich furnishings and jewel-toned fabrics in the common areas are not to be missed.

Staying on Briland, it’s inevitable that you will partake of the island’s main activities: strolling through Dunmore Town with its quirky shops, cafes and bars; breezing around the island in a golf cart or stretched out on the island’s showpiece Pink Sands Beach. The staff at Rock House make it very easy for you to do as little or as much as you want. It even has its own beach property, situated just below the superb Sip Sip restaurant. A well-oiled system is in place for guests: pick up a beach bag and cooler, make the five-minute golf cart ride to Pink Sand Beach where members of the team will be waiting to set up your beach lounger and take your drink order. Of course, many guests find that once ensconced on the gorgeous beach, they have no desire to see or do anything else.

While days at the hotel are quiet, the nights are vibrant with restaurant hosting residents, locals and guests who make the most of the fine-dining opportunities around the island.