The rebirth of The Potlatch Club has been the best part of eight years in the making. Its charming owners, Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles, stumbled upon it after nearly giving up on finding a location for their Eleuthera hotel project. Intrigued by the old clubhouse building on Old Banks Road outside Governor’s Harbour, they hacked their way through dense undergrowth which, to their astonishment, revealed secrets of former glory. When they reached the shoreline, they gasped in amazement at the beauty of the deserted pink sand beach, turquoise water and the ultramarine Atlantic Ocean beyond. Recounting the experience, Bruce and Hans say they knew instantly that this was ‘the place’.
Where is Eleuthera?
The Bahamas is often said to be the friendliest country in the Caribbean and the ‘Family Islands’ of Exuma, Eleuthera and Abaco are especially so, with a warm welcome for everyone, little or no crime and a keen sense of family. Most visitors fly into Nassau and then connect to the islands on smaller planes.
Eleuthera is a long skinny island resembling a leg bone, 110 miles long, less than a mile wide at its broadest and 100m at its narrowest. One side faces reefs and the Atlantic beyond, the other the Caribbean Sea, with powdery white sand beaches and Maldivian waters. With 210 miles of coastline and a population of just 60,000, the beaches are, well, not exactly busy. Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera’s capital, is roughly in the middle, where the island is a quarter of a mile wide. One road, amusingly called ‘The Queen’s Highway’ runs from north to south linking Harbour Island in the north to Lighthouse Beach at the island’s most southernly tip. It’s long been the secret hideaway for the British royal family with the Mountbattens having a home on Windermere since the 1950s, King Charles visiting at least nine times and his Goddaughter, India Hicks, still living in Harbour Island.
History
The first house built on The Potlatch Club estate dates from 1923 when it was a pineapple plantation, with further buildings added before the property was acquired in the 1960s by three East Coast socialites, Diana Adams, Elizabeth Fitzgerald and Marie Driggs, who established The Potlatch Club as an exclusive retreat for high society, celebrities and royalty. Paul and Linda McCartney honeymooned here in 1969 when the Beatles were at the height of their fame and wrote two songs here on Potlatch Club notepaper, including ‘She came in through the bathroom window’ with a reference to the lagoon beyond the reef.
There are other hotels on the island, but none come close to The Potlatch Club. Set in 12 acres, there are just 11 ‘keys’ including ‘The Pineapple House’, a 4-bedrom villa with private pool; a 1- bedroom villa called ‘Pink Sands Cottage’ which is perfect for honeymoons; three ocean-front cottages, just a dozen footsteps from the beach; three garden cottages nestling in the lush tropical gardens; and three lovely garden suites in a building close to the Clubhouse. All the accommodation is more spacious than you would expect ranging from the Garden Suites at 690 sq ft, to the Pineapple House’s expansive 3250 sq ft.
Getting there
We connected through Nassau, taking the 20-minute hop on Pineapple Air direct to Governor’s Harbour Airport, where our hire car awaited. 20 minutes later, we were here. Since April, direct flights from Miami to Governor’s Harbour on American Eagle are now thrice weekly, so any qualms about small planes can be avoided.
Several things strike you as soon as you arrive. Firstly, the welcome is genuinely warm, with lovely local staff directed by general manager Kezang Dorji, who hails from Bhutan and brings with him a serene sense of service where no request is too much trouble. He is supported by his Himalayan ‘dream team’ who have worked together for many years: chef Choki, bar manager and mixologist extraordinaire Gembo, and restaurant manager Tschering. All the rest of the staff are local and have already coalesced into a finely tuned and impressive team in next to no time. Exceptional service is not something the Caribbean is famous for, but, here, they have broken the mould.
Lush tropical gardens
The second first impression is how lush and beautiful this place is. New openings are synonymous with young landscapes that may eventually look beautiful, but only after a decade. Here, Hans Febles has masterminded exotic tropical gardens with sensitively positioned buildings that fit in with the mature landscape and then planted around these with carefully curated flora and fauna to ensure privacy. Gardeners will spot pink and yellow Acalypha, green and variegated pandamus, fruit-bearing monstera deliciososa, gorgeous silvery Bismarck palms and thousands of sea grapes, not to mention the mature palms and firs that have been protected during the restoration. Everything has been planned for a salty, sandy environment and the lush grass, is soft and perfectly manicured. It was specially selected to thrive in this environment.
Suites, cottages and villas
When you arrive at your room, you find spacious, airy, dreamlike spaces with high whitewashed wooden ceilings, large ceiling fans, pink coral stone floors, comfortable king size beds, comfy sofas in baby blue, a kitchenette and marble bathrooms with walk-in showers (no tubs). Bruce Loshusan worked with Nassau-based interior designer Amanda Lindroth on the interiors and chose most of the furniture himself, with an emphasis on rattan and contemporary craft-based designs. It really works.
We stayed in one of the three Ocean-front Cottages with a veranda and garden leading directly onto the beach. It was beautiful, exceptionally private and could hardly be improved in any way. From the two Adirondack chairs on the veranda we could be mesmerised by the ocean or snooze in the woven hammock in our gazebo with a glass of Whispering Angel. The cottage’s position meant it was ideally placed for sunrise swims which are de rigeur here, as dawn is something you just don’t want to miss. Often they are biblical, in a good way. As the sun rises and paints the seascape in warm hues, you feel compelled to take your first beach walk of the day. You can walk this beach for miles and rarely bump in to another soul. This triggers our happy hormones with some desert island dopamine.
If your budget is tighter, the Garden Suites are excellent value. Located next to the Clubhouse they are spacious, stylish and two of them inter-connect for families. One is also configured for disabled access.
Garden Cottages are very similar in configuration to the Ocean-front Cottages, but with tropical garden views. One has partial sea views. All feature the same design ethos with individual tweaks.
The two villas are spectacular. Pink Sands Cottage is ideal for honeymooners. Exceptionally private with two verandas,it features a private garden with gazebo and hammock, while inside there is an open plan kitchen, dining and living room leading to a beautiful bedroom with soaring rattan four poster bed from Indonesia with pink throws and views out over a day bed on the rear veranda to the ocean. Bliss.
We’ve also stayed in the four-bedroom villa, The Pineapple House. This has a private entrance with parking and bikes for exploring, a vast open-plan professional kitchen and dining room with steps down to a large living area with sofas and chairs a massive tv (which we never switched on) and 30ft-wide glazed doors, which fully retract to allow a stunning, uninterrupted vista over the private plunge pool, down to the sea. The four double bedrooms (3 kings and one twin) are all en-suite. Our only niggle is that there isn’t a bath tub for those who prefer to take their time with their ablutions. Products are currently from The Botanist & The Chemist, but we understand something more unique is on their way.
All the accommodation features stunning coral stone floors, which are both beautiful and practical – it’s hard to slip even when wet and they are easy to clean, as this is a place where shoes really aren’t necessary and even if you’ve washed your feet with the foot fawcets, there are always a few grains of sand left between your toes.
Food and drink
The Fig Tree restaurant is a revelation. Named after the glorious Banyan Fig tree which provides shade for alfresco dining in cooler months, this is a destination in its own right. We’ve heard residents of Harbour Island, 50 miles away, regularly visit because they consider this to be the best restaurant on the island; and we now know why.
Caribbean cuisine is synonymous with large portions of deep fried, calorific food. Not here. Chef Choki delivers light delights with delicious salads and Asian-fusion flavours, such as the Seared Sesame Tuna with wakame salad, avocado, wasabi and sticky rice. The Watermelon Salad with tomatoes, feta, pistachio and balsamic reduction was also a big hit, especially when an additional helping of mojito colossal shrimps were added to create the perfect lunch. Not usually one for burgers, I did feel I had to try one for the team and Choki's Wagyu Burger with caramelised onions, bacon jam and white cheddar was sensational. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all equally outstanding.
Gembo is the mixology master who slips between the restaurant bar and the soaring Sand Bar by the main crescent pool, a structure which has to be one of the loveliest beach bars in the world. He effortlessly conjures cocktails to die for, from an extensive list to off-piste requests. Again, there is a lightness to his mastery, no cloying, overly-sweet concoctions here. The list includes Caribbean specialities like a Goombay Smash (gold rum, coconut rum, Mayr’s rum, lime juice, local honey and fresh pineapple juice), to location inspired Wild Sea-Horse (grapefruit infused vodka, Campari, grapefruit juice and soda) and Pink Sands (Strawberry-infused vodka, lime juice, local honey, strawberry, garden basil and club soda).
Wines come by the glass or by the bottle with a very palatable Studio by Miraval being the house rosé with Whispering Angel by the bottle. This is a place where rosé feels like the default choice, but white and red wines span France, Italy and California with chardonnays ranging from Macon Villages and Napa Cellars, to Pouilly Fuissé and Chablis Premier Cru. If you are feeling flush, then the special selection includes a Meursault, La Clarté du Haut-Brion and Grand Cru Clos Vougeot.
Things to do
Beach walks and swimming are musts and when you tire of bath temperature sea, you can choose either of the two pools. There are kayaks and paddle boards included in the resort fee, with a glass bottomed kayak for reef watching. While we were here, a family out kayaking spotted a school of dolphins. We were having lunch but rushed to the scene, but sadly they had already departed.
We’d seriously recommend a boat trip and at least half a day exploring the island, visiting a few of the sights. The glass bridge, where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic, blending the sea into extraordianry contrasting colours is worth a photo, but the bridge itself isn’t glass and isn’t very pretty. Mr Dean will take you there and also show you Preachers Cave and the Queen’s Bath, but what we loved most was discovering the Caribbean side of the island where the beaches are fringed with casuarina trees and the waters are shallow, calm and crystal clear. Our particular favourite, Ten Bay Beach, is accessed down a dirt track where you will find yourself pretty much alone with your picnic. Heaven.
Our boat trip departed from Spanish Wells further north and took us out to see a deserted sand bar where we paddled alone with stingrays for half an hour before heading north towards Harbour Island to swim with turtles and reef fish. You can arrange a bespoke itinerary, including fishing if you like and, closer to home, sunset cruises from Governor’s Harbour are another excursion idea.
The Acqua Spa
In the Acqua Spa there is a twin treatment room where Meredith Culmer performs deep tissue and hot stone massages and other therapies, with products by Natura Bisse. She can also arrange treatments on the beach, or in your room.
The gym is fully equipped and, of course, air conditioned.
The sum-up
The rebirth of The Potlatch Club is a triumph. It’s a place you would want to go for a romantic escape, for a family vacation, as somewhere to celebrate a milestone (where it’s the perfect size for a buy-out of the whole resort, so you can celebrate without worrying about anyone else), or of course for a wedding or honeymoon.
Hats off to Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles and their outstanding team for taking so much care over the restoration of The Potlatch Club and putting Eleuthera where it deserves to be – on every luxury explorer’s bucketlist.
Peter Matthews