Just got back from one week at the viva fortuna. (jan 28-feb4). Like many others, I had read negative reviews of this property, which were completely unfounded. This property is a three star, not a five star; so don't expect white glove service.
We booked an oceanview, and was not disapointed, with a room on the first floor of the Bimini block. If you are looking for quieter accomodations, try to get a room in this block as it is at the far end of the resort.
The beach is absolutely gorgeous. Literally miles long with spectacular views in either direction. There were a few people selling things on the beach, but left you alone after a simple 'no thank you'. There are security guards that patrol the beach as well, who are friendly. We were fortunate to find a quiet spot on the beach up near our room, wich was nice. The ocean was a bit cool, but once you get in, it was lovely. When the surf is up, the visibility of the water is a bit cloudy, but on calm days you can see right to the bottom.
The food was much better than we expected. There are always burgers, (wich are amazing) fries, hotdogs, and pizza available, but be sure to try the other items on the buffet as well. Surprisingly tasty. There was enough selection that you didn't have to eat the same thing twice. There was always a beef, chicken, or fish dish to choose from, each of wich were delicious; as well as pasta, rice and various potato sides. There were coldcuts to make your own sandwich and various types of prepard prepared salads as well as a wonderful saladbar.
The main dining hall is self serve. So you find your own seats, help yourself to the buffet and get your own drinks at the drink station (pop, juice and wine) There is no wait staff in this restaraunt, but there are people to clear your dishes with a smile.
Do make sure to book the a la cartes. We had no problems making reservations at either one. The asian restaraunt is very good..have the egg rolls. The italian restaraunt was terrific too...have the steak!!. If you make your reservation at the italian, try to go around 7, as there was one of the animation team playing the piano while you dine. He was an amazing pianist. The waitresses in the a la cartes are very friendly and efficient.
The bartenders, both evening and daytime are very friendly too. We never waited more than a minute or two for service. In fact, there were a few times when our drinks were replenished without us even asking!
The nightly shows are entertaining. Do not miss the trapeeze show (I think they call it the street show) and the comedy show is funny, especially after a few drinks. There was a bonfire on the beach one night wich was fun too.
The animation team works really hard. They put in long hours and even dine with the guests. They have upbeat music playing around the pool in the afternoon and the activities are always available if you choose to participate. Prizes are small bottles of rum, awarded at the start of the evening show. We are not ones to partake in the activities usually, but couldn't help ourselves as the staff are very funny and persuasive. We were glad we did. Even if you don't want to play, it's fun to watch.
Muster up your courage and try the trapeeze. They do it every morning. Also fun to watch if you choose not to, though.
After the shows in the evening there is dancing at the main bar (mainly top 40 music, but there were a few nights of retro and regae). The animation teams always opens the dance floor so you don't feel awkard getting up to dance. There are plenty of sofas and chairs around the bar area so you can hang out and have some drinks if dancing isn't your think. There are pool tables and a foozeball table too. You need to leave a deposit at the front desk to get the balls, though.
Everyone of the staff we delt with here were freindly and very hard workers. Our maid did a wonder job and kept us smiling, always asking if we were enjoying our stay. There were guys organizing the beach chairs and collecting empty cups every afternoon, we saw one guy cleaning bird droppings off the pool umbrellas, and then he stopped to pick up a pile of cigarette butts left on the pool deck by one of the guests. One afternoon we had a guy come by our patio to swap out the chairs so they matched. There is a photographer roaming around the resort taking pictures that are available for puchase. On our last day, every staff member we passed asked us if we had enjoyed our stay, thanked us for staying at this resort and invited us back.
We didn't get off the resort much. We went to Port Lucaya Marketplace. Don't wait till the later afternoon to go as many of the vendors had gone home for the day. We also went to Pier1 restauant to watch the shark feeding (7, 8 and 9 pm) which was totally cool, but the food is a bit expensive there.
The weather was great while we were there. Daytime highs around the mid 20s (celcious) feeling closer to 30. There were a few windy days at the begining of the week (35km!) but it helped to keep the heat at bay. There was one afternoon that is rained. The evenings get rather cool (about 15 degrees) so if you tend to get chilly, bring a sweater or light jacket. Bring a nice outfit to wear to the a la carte, but the resort is pretty casual otherwise.
The only complaint we had was with the way check in is done. It is a very long process (it took us about 40-50 min to get our keycards) It would behoove them to find a more efficient process for check in, failing that they should at least offer some cold drinks while you're waiting.
A few things I forgot to mention: one eveing there was an incredible band that played in the main bar area. (brass and percussion band complete with 'native' headress) Amazing! Also, there is now wi-fi available in the room (they were laying the cable while we were there). The beds were really comfortable too
Forget the negative reviews, go to this resort and be pleasantly surprised!!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
March 15, 2013
Dear Guest
We would like to thank you for choosing Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Resort for your vacation destination.
First of all it is always a pleasure to read how our guests enjoyed their vacation experience with us at our resort and that you all had a great time in Grand Bahama Island not only our premises also our truly Bahamian atmosphere.
Also we are thrilled to read about your opinion in our food and beverage variety regarding as well that each guest is unique and also we have a very large variety of guest from all over the globe.
Mentioning about our Staff members we are please to read and is always nice to get recognition from all of them, and not least we have in progress our Staff members training in Hospitality for all international Guests in all our Departments in our Resorts, and your review help us to improve and do better in a future knowing that our guest should have 100% stressed free vacations.
Also, we apologize for the vendors and that may disturbed you all, however, unfortunately they are allowed up to a certain amount in distance between the shore line and the beach. We have security on call 24/7, so if there does become an issue we contact our security and they deal with the situation.
Ending on behalf of the staff and management here, we would like to thank you once again, for not only your generous hospitality, but for your positive review also, for all our upcoming guests to read. It is always appreciated.
We would love to welcome again with us in our resort thinking that there is lots more to explore in Grand Bahama Island and our returning guests are the most valuable to us therefore it would really be a pleasure to see you again.
Kindest regards
General Manager
Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
