French Leave Resort, Autograph Collection

We stayed four nights as a couple in a private villa November 2024 before Thanksgiving. This is a wonderful boutique resort with very friendly staff, pool, well maintained grounds, and a beach. Each villa has its own golf cart to drive over to the French Leave beach near the abandoned Club Med, which includes a cooler that you can fill up with ice. We got to the beach early (a bumpy road to get there, but a fun experience). This is a place to get off the grid, although I was able to do a bit of work. They nailed many facets of creating a great experience! The villa is newer and beautifully decorated. Our villa was oceanfront and the sunsets were stunning. Water bottles were refreshed every day in the mini-bar. The airport is small and for a rental car you must deal with an individual or small company set up before arriving. Our person met us right at the airport (North Eleuthera, ELH) with an SUV as promised. There are potholes on the road, and we drove about an hour (stop at the Glass Window Bridge). If you are careful, avoiding potholes is not a major problem. We were glad for the rental car as we stopped for groceries and wine/beer. Burrows is right down the road from the resort, and one side is a local grocery store, the other half a liquor store. Both very friendly, and we got a free beer to try before we bought. The staff at the French Leave (Krissy greeted us) checked us in efficiently, took us to our villa, and came back with two rum punch drinks that started the vacation off right. We ate breakfast at the 1638 restaurant on site, which is a bit slow, but this is island time. We kayaked off the resort in the peaceful bay, which is beautiful and serene. We lounged in the pool, which has plenty of chairs and poolside service. There is live music on several nights in the restaurant, which has delicious food. Again, if you want to take your time, explore the island, have access to a beautiful pristine pink sand beach, this is the place to go. We visited the Leon Levy Preserve, which is not far away and highlights the natural biological life on the island. We drove over to Tippys for lunch, which has very fast service, great conch tacos, and a beachy atmosphere. We drove out to LaBougainvilla resort for dinner, which was just okay. May have been better during daylight hours. Not much else to do around the area except relax, kayak, snorkel (included equipment) and power down. Highly recommend this place and appreciate the wonderful, warm and welcoming staff! Especially Keio! Having traveled to many islands, this one is a true gem!

Visiting now, have two villas. Beautiful beach and very quiet and peaceful resort, that’s the upside. S……L……O……W…… service. That’s the downside. Yes the employees are each very kind and helpful but that doesn’t excuse the fact that every request takes an inordinate amount of time to be processed. Want to have a meal at 1648? Set aside 2.5 hours at least. Want to order a drink at the pool? Prepare to wait 30 minutes. Need something brought to your room? Go eat at 1648, then have a drink at the pool, then go to the beach for a few hours. Maybe whatever you requested will have been delivered in the 8 hours you were away. Internet wasn’t working the day we arrived, still waiting for someone to fix it. Bottom line, come here for the beach and don’t expect much more; certainly not enough to justify the cost to stay.

My friend and I had such an incredible stay at this amazing resort. We were there to celebrate her birthday. The front desk team (Kerrell!!) went above and beyond to ensure our stay was comfortable and that we were cared for. They surpassed my expectations of the Bahamian reputation for being warm, welcoming and friendly. Our room was clean and beautiful with comfortable amenities including fluffy towels & robes, a comfy bed with the softest linens, and a golf cart! The balcony off our room was a great place to relax and watch the yellow butterflies float past us. The resort swimming pool was relaxing and clean with an unbelievable view of the bay. The pool staff was eager to help when we wanted to kayak in the bay or asked for a drink poolside. The restaurant team was kind and incredibly accommodating to our needs. AND---the resort's beach (a quick golf cart ride away) was INCREDIBLE!!!! We lounged under the resort-provided umbrellas and on the beach chairs between dips in the clear blue ocean. We were blown away by this resort!!! A beautiful spot on earth was made better by the kind, lovely, friendly people who cared for us. I highly recommend you visit and I can't wait to return.

The staff was very nice and the food was good. For dollar value the rooms were small Other than the swimming pool there is little to do The property is small and really not close to anything This is not a family vacation property

Outstanding service— one of the best experiences because of the team. Shout out to Karell and Nolan who made our stay so very special. We were upgraded to the two bedroom villa — full kitchen, laundry, patio with beautiful views. Hard to walk into town bc no sidewalks. Cabs can re preordered but be sure to have lots of cash— they don’t take credit cards. Not a lot around the hotel but perfect for lots of rest and relaxation!

Husband and I just returned from a combo honeymoon/birthday trip. First time to Eleuthera and French Leave. Echo-ing all the positive reviews here -- hotel is fantastic! Beautifully appointed, large modern villas, breathtaking location on the Caribbean Sea with golf carts to drive to the unreal pink sand French Leave beach on the Atlantic. You pay a premium for service, and FL delivers in spades. From the front desk to the hotel manager, to the pool and beach staff, and housekeeping, the service is truly what makes this place magical. We traveled alone and thought it was perfect for couples. Food is excellent and fresh, we ate at 1648 several times for BLD - welcome drink is excellent! Do what others recommend -- hit the local grocery and load up on drinks/snacks, pack the beach cooler and enjoy. Eleuthera is a gorgeous, remote, safe island and we are looking forward to returning and staying again in FL. Thank you for such wonderful memories! Other. Restaurants: 1648, Tippy's (so fun!), Buccaneer, Friday Night Fish Fry in Governor's Harbor Excursions: We did a kayaking tour in the south which was awesome with Eleuthera Outdoor Center - highly recommend Other: Bring cash, taxis and some places only accept. Not a lot of places accept Amex. Food is expensive (like, really expensive) for tourists and locals alike so just be prepared for that. Would recommend renting a car, preferably an SUV. Main highway is paved, but many other roads to beaches are not.