If you simultaneously like privacy and coziness with other guests, this is the place to visit. There are charter flights to Stella Maris from Nassau, but most of the guests when we were there were recreational pilots.

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.