Orange Hill Inn is favoured by its fabulous location, roughly half way between trendy Cable Beach and Lyford Cay, with all the high end waterfront developments along the way.
The inn is similarly on the beach, positioned on a slightly elevated ground and affording great views of the sea just below. The sign above the reception entrance door announces it is ‘Faulty Towers Nassau’, but that’s more of a self-deprecating joke than truth, as the Inn is exceptionally well managed.
If anything, it is more idiosyncratic than “faulty”.
Its “honesty bar” has been featured in thousands of reviews and is a nice touch in a place where everything seems to be geared to emptying your wallet.
Rooms are large, high-ceilinged, airy and scrupulously clean, with big comfortable beds, fans, brand new air conditioning units, large TV sets, and well-equipped with a fridge and kitchenette facilities (in the studios).
A pair of twin cottages overlook the beach directly and have a communicating door for larger families, which can remain locked if the cottages are used by separate couples. These timber-clad, pitched roof, self-contained Wendy houses have everything you could possibly need for a longer stay and are really cute to boot.
The grounds and pool (unheated) are beautifully kept with seating areas, a swing and a hammock.
Food is homely and has been consistent over the years, serving local specialities such as cracked conch, fish, baked or Bahamian jerk chicken, black beans and rice, the ever popular surf and turf, seafood combo and the occasional BBQ, cooked on the terrace.
The two best things about Orange Hill are the long empty beach in front of it and the atmosphere. It is family-owned and ran, and one of the friendliest, most relaxed places on earth.
Even if we don’t stay there, we always make a point of revisiting it on the way to the airport (it is about 10 min. drive from there) for a dose of true Bahamian hospitality. Judy, the owner, is one of the kindest people we have ever encountered and an absolute Nassau legend.
Her extended family are obliging, ever-smiling and make you feel as if though you are a personal friend.
Orange Hill is eminently affordable too and we really hope it doesn’t fall prey to a developer any time soon, sandwiched as it is between large villas and fancy resorts/condominiums.
The guests range from repeat holidaymakers to European and US business people, to home owners from other islands who use it Orange Hill as a home from home base.
In the course of our stay there, we came across some interesting characters, with great stories they were happy to share over a cold beer or around the breakfast buffet.
Walking on the beach, with the warm water lapping at my feet and the salty breeze blowing through my hair, happening upon the odd wedding by the water side or a romantic message drawn in the sand, I thought, “Life is made of memories such as this”.
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