I probably will give more negative than positive because we had a terrible experience. My husband and I stayed here for 5 days/4nights. Beautiful grounds and rooms considering the yellow tape due to construction. (thought i was at a murder scene??:-(

The 1st day we got there they couldnt find a room that was ready for us. After at least 1/2 hr., we got a room.Went to the room to find they had just gave the same room 2 someone else. Other negatives...Fridge wasnt stocked/Empty. Towels werent restocked until we asked for them.Room entry card stopped working twice. The bottom line is...The service was lousy but the rooms were really nice. I just expected more for my$$. We stayed in a suite. Pictures enclosed.

I loved the room. I loved the delivered pastries every morning but thats it. They really have to work on their service.

I wanted to take the time to review the trip in November 2005 that my wife and I took to the Port Lucaya area and Pelican Bay Hotel in particular, and also our wedding, which took place then at Pelican Bay. If you want the Cliff's Notes version - we had a great time and some of our guests who joined us had so much fun that they have talked about going back next year!

As bad as Hurricane Wilma was for parts of the island, it had a pretty mild impact on the Port Lucaya area, and the place was much more bustling than it was in autumn 2004, after two much worse hurricanes. It was much livelier, and prettier, and was more of the Caribbean feel that we had expected. Even as it was much more lively, it never felt overcrowded - we didn't have to wait for tables or a spot on the beach, but it didn't feel strangely empty as it did the year before.


Just a couple of quick hit reviews:

**Pelican Bay** - We, and our wedding guests, loved staying here. The staff treats you great, the rooms are adequate at the lower end and very, very nice at the higher end, and it's close enough to the beach and marketplace that you don't miss any of the action, without the resort feel of the Westin/Sheraton. I'd consider staying at the Westin, but if I were to go back, I'd say it's 95% I'd stay at Pelican Bay again. It's worth buying a bracelet at the front desk ($5) to have access to the Westin beach facilities. Also, Yellowtails, which is next to the pool near the marketplace, is one of the best bargains for food and drink around. We probably ate half of our meals there, and they have happy hour from 5-7.

**Westin/Sheraton** - I found the food at Prop Club and China Beach to be unspectacular, particularly for the price. But China Grill, the outdoor portion of China Beach, is a great option if you're at the beach and the service is probably the fastest I've seen on the island.

**Marketplace** - I know it gets mixed reviews, but we've always enjoyed the food at Fatman's Nephew. However, be warned that the service is painfully slow. We didn't eat many meals in the marketplace actually beyond that.

**Fish fry at Smith's Point** - If you're there on a Wednesday night, DO NOT MISS the fish fry. Take a cab, or if you have rented a car, it's right near Stoned Crab/ Tranquility Shores. We missed it last year and regretted it, and had a blast there this year. $10 for a plate of a whole fried fish and side dishes. You have to wait in line for a while, but it's well worth it. And there's a bar there, and music playing, while you wait.

**Stoned Crab** - We had our rehearsal dinner at Stoned Crab. The service was excellent, the views / scene beautiful, and the food delicious. We'd highly recommend it to anyone, for any size group. I'm craving their conch chowder just thinking about it.

Now for the wedding:

We had always wanted to get married on the beach, and after meticulous research and even a trip to check it out, we decided Pelican Bay was the best place to do it. Compared to some places in the Caribbean, it didn't seem "cookie-cutter" and it seemed that it wouldn't break the bank, which was important as we were trying to stay on budget. The short version of things is, we had a wonderful time, our guests had a wonderful time, it turned out almost exactly what we wanted, and our memories will last a lifetime. And we have beautiful pictures to prove it!

The longer version is a bit more complex and we will spare you as no one wants to hear anyone drone on about their wedding. But, here are a few notes for anyone who might be considering getting married at Pelican Bay, based on our own experience and talking to a few other people that have been married there. First, the photographer (Photo Factory) and videographer that Pelican Bay generally uses are great. The floral arranger (Katy) did a perfect job, and was one of our favorite people we met on the island. We had a band play, Apple Elliott, who really was great for people of all ages, and they were also among our favorite people we met on the island. They didn't know much recent music, but they had a fantastic sound and everyone loved them. The food was magnificent, which was great and a relief because we had no chance to try it beforehand, as most people do before their wedding. The cake was probably the best wedding cake I've ever had, and I'm not just saying that because it was my own.

The ceremony site, which was on the beach, was beautiful (although a bit windy and wet due to an unexpectedly high tide), and our guests loved the boat ride to get there.

We should add that despite everything turning out pretty much as we wanted it, the road was sometimes rocky in getting there. In the end, our budget was accommodated, but just something to consider if you feel like you might want more detailed input into the decision-making, or if you are highly concerned about costs. Still, our friends mostly agree that it was the most beautiful setting for a wedding they had been to, and one of the most fun weddings as well. And we think so too.

Looking back, it's supposed to be one of the greatest days of your life, and it really lived up to that, and Pelican Bay and the vendors they recommended really came through to make sure of it.

If you want to hear more or have any questions that we might be able to help with, feel free to email us at gmail dot com, username is daveandcam.

I was very impressed with this hotel. Great Location! Walk everywhere. Very close to bars, Shops, walk over to the beach 2 minutes. The hotel has quiet pools and a bar with great crabcakes, and mixed drinks. Great place to get married. Marva Monro and her flower lady handled everything. Trust them... It will work out. They got it all done did a great job. All of the rooms are nice but the suites are big! Livingroom with couches and then a bed in another room. WiFi and a computer lab. If you go, get a limo from the airport (Worth it!)start your vacation right, no need to rent a car. There were alot of flys in the morning in the breakfast bar. Skip it and walk over to the "EXPO" for the american breakfast ($6) on your way to the Shartin hotel beach for a walk along the coast to look at the beautiful waters. then go rent a jetski for a half hour ($60) and Switch off driving with your friend.

My husband and I stayed in a suite at Pelican Bay this past weekend and we couldn't have been more pleased with how nice the room was. The decor was beautiful and our view was amazing. Each staff person we dealt with was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the pastries delivered through our door in the morning and our breakfast overlooking the marina was perfect. We were only able to stay one night and it wasn't long enough! As for other helpful tips, there is reasonably-priced eating adjacent to Pelican Bay in the marketplace. We made the mistake of eating at a place behind the Sheraton called China Beach and were disappointed with the price you have to pay for the quality you get. For an order of shrimp (we counted and they gave us a whopping 7 pieces of shrimp and then lots of vegetables to make it look like more) we paid $30. Our bill came to $148 and the quantity and quality just did not match. The decor, location and ambience are nice but deceiving. It reminded me of a PF Chang's but the food didn't taste as good and the prices were outrageous. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay in Port Lucaya and would recommend Pelican Bay Suites to anyone looking for the perfect place to stay.