The Potlatch Club, Eleuthera, The Bahamas

In short… A storied ‘70s jet-set era hotel lovingly restored on a laid-back Bahamian island, with rugged natural beauty and Slim Aarons-esque glamour in equal measure

The surroundings… The Potlatch Club sits smack in the middle of Eleuthera, a long, skinny island shaped like half a wishbone, with 200 miles of coastline and not a single traffic light. One of The Bahamas’ Family Islands, Eleuthera is completely unpretentious and teeming with natural wonders—pink-hued beaches in the north, jagged limestone cliffs in the south, and secret surf breaks, patchwork coral reefs, deep blue ocean holes and karst cave systems scattered throughout. 

The history… Though the hotel just reopened in June 2024, it dates back to the 1960s, when a group of East Coast socialites came across what was then a private home on an old pineapple plantation and transformed it into The Potlatch Club. Working with local contractors, they expanded the property and word quickly spread. It was the golden age of jet-setting in The Bahamas: Slim Aarons was a regular visitor to the island, and Pan Am founder Juan Trippe had a house nearby (which meant direct flights to Eleuthera from NYC). Celebrities, socialites and royalty flocked to Potlatch—Greta Garbo, Raymond Burr, and even Paul and Linda McCartney, who honeymooned there and famously wrote a song on the hotel stationery. But with little regard for finances, the club’s laissez-faire operations caught up with it. As Hans Febles, the current co-owner, explained, “Eventually, Elizabeth’s husband said no more and cut it off.” The original Potlatch Club closed in 1978 and for decades sat dormant—another victim of the island’s boom-and-bust tourism cycles—until Hans and his co-owner Bruce Loshusan stumbled upon it in 2016 and decided to restore it to its former glory. 

The duo are close friends with deep Caribbean roots, bringing a palpable respect for this place to the project. Bruce grew up in Jamaica and Hans in Cuba and The Bahamas, and both are well-acquainted with the challenges of doing business on smaller islands. Their approach—marked by patience, humility and environmental mindfulness—was the right fit.  Hans shared fond memories of sitting beneath towering palm trees in his grandmother’s garden in Cuba as a child—a parallel not lost on me as we sat beneath Potlatch’s own ancient Banyan tree, which Hans nurtured back to health with the help of researchers from the University of Hawaii. 

The look and feel… Throughout the renovation, they preserved as much of the original resort as possible—saving tiles from the 1920s, restoring an old mahogany piano that a neighbor had kept for decades while Potlatch was shuttered, and proudly displaying vintage photographs and memorabilia from its heyday. They avoided moving mature trees and built very few new structures, carefully working within the footprint of the old resort. The result feels authentically grown-in, like it’s been there for decades—because it has. They worked with Nassau-based interior designer Amanda Lindroth, who ever-so-slightly dialed down her signature maximalist tropical whimsy style to better suit the laid-back vibe of the Family Islands. With just 11 rooms, there’s plenty of space to breathe, and you feel like you really have the run of the place. If you wanted to, you could easily go a day without seeing anyone—disturbed only by the occasional  “plunk” of a coconut falling nearby. But if you’re in the mood for company,  commandeering their Sand Bar for a nightcap could quickly turn the scene into something Pellicano-esque. 

The rooms… I stayed in one of their oceanfront cottages, which was bright, airy and so spacious that my first thought was, “I could happily just move right in.” I later learned the guest checking in after me was doing exactly that—for a full month. The palette is beachy—with sand-colored coral stone floors, white shiplap ceilings, and accents in shades of blue that seemed plucked straight from the horizon. Bamboo, rattan and wicker were everywhere—down to the ice bucket, tissue-box cover, and even the curtain rod, a hollowed out bamboo shoot! As beautiful as the inside of my cottage was, I spent most of my time on the porch, sipping coffee in the mornings or an ice-cold Kalik in the evenings, listening to the sounds of frogs croaking and waves lapping just a dozen yards away. 

All cottages and suites are equipped with a kitchenette and cozy indoor living area, with all the trappings that make you feel at home—a hairdryer, umbrella, yoga mat, stocked mini-fridge and fixings for coffee and tea, of course. There’s also a lantern and cooler to bring with you on adventures, and bug spray—the no-nonsense kind with deet—for nights when the breeze dies down. (Pro tip for the bug-averse: pack baby oil—it keeps the no-see-ums at bay!)

For more privacy, the one-bedroom Pink Sands House is a bit more spacious and, well, pink than the other cottages. With two verandas and a private garden overlooking the sea, it would be perfect for a romantic getaway. For families or groups, the 3,500 sq ft Pineapple House, which has four en-suite bedrooms, a breezy open floor plan and its own pool, would be ideal. 

The food & drink… The Fig Tree is the main restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a menu that changes frequently to highlight local produce. Executive Chef Choki Wangmo and GM Kezang Dorji, both Bhutanese and former colleagues at The Cove on Eleuthera, bring a touch of South Asian influence to the menu—don’t miss the incredible homemade turmeric sorbet for dessert! There’s also the Sand Bar, a casual poolside spot which I didn’t try, but looks like a fun place to have a drink and watch the sunset, or play dominoes in the shade once you’ve had enough sun for the day. Of course, you can also enjoy lunch and drinks delivered to your beach chair or hammock. 

While the hotel has plenty to offer, you don’t feel confined to only eating on-site. Just a five-minute walk down the beach is Tippy’s, a local favorite for pizzas and conch prepared every way possible. Further down the road in Governors Harbour you have even more options—try Buccaneers Club for a perfect grouper burger or Da Perk for coffee, smoothies and whatever Horatio is cooking up that day. And if you’re there on a Friday night, don’t miss the fish fry in town! 

The wellness… The gym and spa are housed in a building next to the Fig Tree restaurant and are impressively equipped for an 11-room hotel. The gym has free weights, a few machines, a bike and a stair stepper, as well as a few vintage-inspired exercise posters that might be decorative, but were actually helpful as I cobbled together some sort of workout. There is no treadmill—intentionally—because the beach is your track! The spa is beautifully designed, continuing Amanda Lindroth’s signature aesthetic into the treatment rooms, and I had an amazing massage with Drinda, who joined the team from Aman in Bali. Using energizing citrus-scented Natura Bissé products, she left me feeling so refreshed I was practically doing cartwheels on the beach afterwards. 

You also can’t overstate how restorative it feels to spend so much time outside here. I loved sitting on my porch, watching the light play through the palm trees at different times of the day, strolling along the beach at sunrise or sunset, and stargazing under the vast night sky. With so little light pollution, the stars are amazing—you’re almost guaranteed to see a shooting star or two (perfect for wishing your flight home gets delayed).

Be sure to… leave the hotel! Ok, I wouldn’t blame you for sticking to a routine of breakfast, beach, and a book per day, but there is so much to explore on Eleuthera. Being centrally located means you’re within an hour of the island’s rugged south or its glamourous north. For something closer, you can take a sailing or kiting lesson at the Eleuthera Sailing Academy, learn about local flora and fauna at the Leon Levy Preserve directly across the street, grab a coffee and a good chat at Da Perk, explore the Hatchet Bay Caves (not for the faint of heart), or ferry over to Harbour Island for handmade straw bags. Just for the love of God find something better to do than swimming with pigs. The team at Potlatch Club is mostly from Eleuthera and can offer plenty of insider tips to help you make the most of your stay.  

Extra tip goes to… Adriana, the very sweet waitress at the Fig Tree restaurant, who had great recommendations and banter and remembered that I am a sparkling water person. 

Parting words… I’ve spent a lot of time—years, really—on Eleuthera since I first came here 12 years ago, and given its tumultuous history with extractive tourism, I’m mindful of not overselling it as an island paradise. “Eleuthera is not for everyone” is, fittingly, the island’s catchphrase, and I don’t think Potlatch Club will change that anytime soon (which is a very, very good thing). As tourism seems to be picking up here again, I feel reassured by the thoughtful scale, measured pace, and most importantly, the genuine heart behind everything happening at Potlatch Club. 

Dates of stay… December 2024