MARLEY RESORT & SPA - BAHAMAS
by Anne Dimon
The familiar melody of Bob Marley’s best known tune, One Love, floats through a lovingly-groomed garden setting as I arrive at Nassau, Bahamas's newest resort and spa. Opened in June, oceanfront Marley Resort & Spa was once the family’s vacation home and it was the vision of Rita Marley, the late cultural icon’s wife, to turn it into an upscale boutique resort complete with fine dining and an intimate spa called Natural Mystic – a name chosen from Marley’s huge repertoire of songs. The names of other songs were chosen to christened the boutique resort's 16, beautifully decorated guestrooms.
The spa is small, just three treatment rooms, a wet area, an outdoor lounge, locker room and a mani-pedi area, but it packs a big spa experience. I especially liked the couple’s treatment room with its own double bath, rain shower and private lounge, and the outdoor wet area - called Wata (the African word for “water”) Passage – and offering hot and cold plunge pools and semi-private Asian bath.
The vibe at the spa is a fusion of African, Caribbean and Asian with pretty much everything holistic and nature-inspired including products made with natural ingredients. For instance, I had the Mocha Rum Wrap and the therapist blended the ingredients, including real Bahamian rum and all-natural local honey, right in front of me as I sat sipping a freshly-squeezed juice cocktail while listening to more of Marley’s feel-good music wafting through the air.
www.marleyresort.com
