Long Island is generally undeveloped and quiet. The resort is therefore self contained and was almost empty when we were there so didn't have as good an "atmosphere" as it would no doubt have had at a busier time. The resort has all the stuff you need but the main problem is that many of them are not on site. They run daily transport to the marina, for example, to go fishing or snorkelling. The local beach is on the Atlantic side so is not really suitable for swimming so a beach day also involves a journey.
The resort facilities themselves are superb. Very good quality room with free WiFi. Bad points are: No kettle in room so we had to make tea in the coffee machine, no milk in the room for either coffee or tea, the menu was good quality but a bit hit-and-miss as to what was actually available - in our case the breakfast buffet (which is normally excellent) wasn't available most days and sometimes we were offered only a choice of two main courses for dinner. The bed sheets were too small for the bed so kept riding up and disturbing our sleep.
Aside from theses comments the all-inclusive deal is really good and takes away all the silly hassle about taxes and tips etc.

Our stay at the Stella Maris Rainbow House exceeded our expectations! We got married on the island and the experience with the staff in preparation for our wedding was superb. All the little details and extras that were just taken care of for us made our day one we will never forget. Our honeymoon was filled with excursions that were arranged for us and every day the resort club was happy to take us to sailing, beaches, snorkeling, boating, kayaking, a full day private island tour, etc. There were bikes available to us for the entire stay at no charge and we logged miles on them discovering caves, plantation ruins, the Columus Monument, Love Beaches, rock pools, etc.. We had read many reviews about the food prior to picking this as our wedding and honeymoon destination site and the reviews were right on the money, the food was FABULOUS with specials everyday and so many options to chose from. Just delicious meal after delicious meal...........fine dining at its best!! Our accomodations were magnificent and clean with views that were breathtaking. In short, we feel in love with the island and the people and will be returning for sure!! Thank you, Jill Smith and all your staff, for making our fairy tale wedding a day that was just that, a fairy tale!! Thank you for all the little extras around our room over the week & the wedding gifts! Our honeymoon was as enjoyable as we could have ever hoped for, thanks for listening to my stories at the end of each day of our adventures on your island!! Kudos to a job well done!

Stella Maris is a 40 year old resort on Long Island in the Bahamas which is a hidden jewel among Caribbean resorts. While the rooms are not new, they are clean and up to date with coffee makers and refrigerators. The meals exceeded our expectations in variety, quality, and taste. The service was marvelous, and all the staff made a effort to learn our names and go out of their way to provide for our needs and interest. Our primary reason for travel was scuba diving, and we were not disappointed. The dive master, Robert Cokley, has more than 25 years experience, and he placed great emphasis on our safety. Under water he made many efforts to show the hidden fish, lobsters, and other sea life he knew was hidden in the reefs. We dove several patch reefs, Deans Blue Hole and a day trip to the wall on Conception Island. Robert had the experience to judge each diver's ability and let them dive at their own pace. After all day diving, we were not up for a big night life, but the staff provided a cookout and rum punch party. After being spoiled with gourmet food and great diving, it was difficult leaving this beautiful island. Stella Maris is definitely on our list for a return dive destination.

This is a great place to relax. If you are expecting casinos and nightclubs, then this is not the island for you. However, to relax, snorkel, scuba, fish, etc this is a great place. The hotel is pretty isolated. There isn't really anywhere that you can easily walk to. The closest store would be a pretty long bike ride and up a long hill to get back to the resort.

The airport is nearby and the hotel picked us up complimentary, though they called a cab for our return. The beach right at the resort is great to relax on and has hammocks and chairs available. However, the water is VERY rocky, and although you can wade around a bit with shoes on, you would be ill advised to try to venture off the rocks for a swim. There is also a tidal pool where sea water fills and drains from a section of carved out rock. very cool. There are also regular swimming pools scattered around the property.

The hotel posts each day's activities on a bulletin board in advance so guests who are interested in a variety of things including trips to more swim at friendly beaches can sign up.

The owners and staff went our of their way to accommodate us. We told them that we would like to try the cave tour and possibly do some snorkeling. They added this for the next day and combined it with some other guests who had similar interests so that we can share a bus ride to the other end of the island. A couple days later we discussed doing some shopping with some of the other guests that we met and again the staff made it happen, by arranging one of their employees to bus us around to various shops. They even gave us a bonus with a trip to the plantation and included some rum punch and snacks for no charge!

We stayed in the hotel section of the property. They also have cottages/bungalows. There are no locks on the rooms here and the hotel will store your valuables in a paper envelope which tape shut and sign across. Drinking water if you need it comes out of a fountain near the check in desk. There is free wireless internet available near the front desk

There are bars around the property where you can order burgers, sandwiches, and such. Again the staff were very pleasant and friendly. The real gem is the main hotel restaurant. We had pretty low expectations for a resort that is so remote. However, we were amazed each night as the dinner menu had good variety and the tastes were amazing. Coming from Atlanta where only the best restaurants can survive, we could not believe how delicious and well prepared the food was here at Stella Maris! Their chef is really something special!!

Stella Maris Resort offers relaxation, a willingness to do whatever possible to meets your needs, an excellent restaurant, and locals who are very friendly to tourists.