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This massive $400 million resort, one of the largest in The Bahamas, is firmly anchored at the center of two of the best white sandy beaches in The Bahamas -- Lucayan Beach and Taíno Beach. Expect nearly 3.2 hectares (8 acres) of soft white sand. Freeport/Lucaya, which had been losing tourist business to Paradise Island, got a big boost in 1999 when this sprawling metropolis opened its doors.

The first of the three sections was completed late in 1998 under the name Sheraton at Our Lucaya. It's the only one of the three branches of Our Lucaya to focus exclusively on all-inclusive holidays, whereby all meals, drinks, and most activities are included in one set price. With a vague South Beach Art Deco design, it's a massive, open-sided hexagon, with rooms facing the beach and the swimming pool. The 528-room resort is contemporary but relaxed; the developers have created a young vibe that draws a high number of families. Bedrooms are whimsical and fun, thanks to fabrics you'd expect on a loud Hawaiian shirt from the Elvis era and maple-veneered furniture, all put together with the kind of artful simplicity you'd expect in a California beach house.

In 2000, two newer subdivisions of Our Lucaya were opened, neither of which is marketed as an all-inclusive property. The smaller and somewhat more private of the two is Westin Lighthouse Pointe, a 322-unit, low-rise complex that focuses specifically on an adult clientele. Its larger counterpart is the 528-unit Westin-Breakers Cay, a grand, 10-story, white-sided tower. The three sections stretch in a glittering profile along a narrow strip of beachfront, allowing residents to drop into any of the bars, restaurants, and gardens. A complex this big contains a staggering diversity of restaurants, each designed with a different theme and ambience. The best of the resort's cuisine selections will be reviewed under "Where to Dine," later in this chapter. And consistent with the broad themes, each of the subdivisions has a dramatic and/or unconventional swimming pool. For example, the Sheraton at Our Lucaya's pool is designed around a replica of a 19th-century sugar mill, complete with an aqueduct that might be worthy of the ancient Romans. A spa and fitness center, a quartet of tennis courts, a convention center, a state-of-the-art casino, and a shopping mall have all also been added in recent years, and there's an increasing emphasis on golf thanks to the opening of the spectacular Reef Course (separately recommended later in this chapter). Children aged 2 to 12 can be amused and entertained throughout daylight hours every day at Camp Lucaya.

Facilities: 16 restaurants; 16 bars; 3 pools; 2 golf courses; 5 tennis courts; health club; spa; watersports equipment/rentals; kids' camp and children's programs; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service/dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.