Located 20 minutes by water-taxi from North Eleuthera Airport, this discreet gem is frequented by Hollywood A-list celebrities and New York tycoons, who come to sink their toes in the magnificent pink-sand beach and toss back cocktails in the hotel's Blue Bar, where everything from the tiles and walls to the chairs and plates live up to the name.
The upscale hideaway's chief virtue is discretion. Its hip credentials are established by the owner, Chris Blackwell of Island Records fame. The designer, Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki, has given this resort an "incredible lightness of being" look, with tropical colors seemingly blanched by the sun.
Hidden in a tangle of jungle greenery is the small, arched, earth-toned reception area decorated with wood carvings and shells. Stepping-stones over a lily pond lead to the main building where vaulted ceilings rise above terra-cotta floors and walls are hung with Southeast Asian objets d'art. Oriental rugs and carved-wood furniture blend with rattan screens and batik fabrics to create a Balinese feel in the large bar, lounge and main dining area. The cozy adjacent library beckons with shelves of eclectic books, well-upholstered sofas, a stone fireplace and a billiards table.
Flower-fringed paths lead to a shady bar and terrace that serve as alternative breakfast venues. Breakfast and lunch are served at Blue Bar from a Caribbean fusion menu with an emphasis on healthy 
fare. Dinner is a set menu drawn up daily by an Italian executive chef.
Recreation is at the freshwater pool and on two tennis courts and there is also a small fitness center. Island tours are arranged, and clothing, CDs and souvenirs fill the stylish boutique. Use of sea kayaks, snorkel gear and boogie boards is free.
One- and two-bedroom guest cottages, linked by stone paths through the hibiscus, are positioned for maximum privacy with Jamaican cedar jalousies, which is appreciated by guests ranging from Julia Roberts and Shirley McLaine to Jimmy Buffet, Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon. All the accommodations have spacious interiors with one king 
bed, sitting areas, minibars, TVs with VCRs, phones, assorted books and CDs, wet bars, espresso coffeemakers, safes, walk-in closets and large combination baths with hair dryers and select toiletries. The two-bedroom Bimini Suites provide whirlpools. Teak-furnished patios afford garden vistas, and oceanfront cottages have private paths threading to the beach.
The staff-to-guest ratio here is extremely high (75 staff members) but, in many cases, it is quantity over quality, as service continues to fall shy of expectations for those used to first-rate treatment. This sophisticated, low-key resort is a second home to the world's style-setters.
