Radisson Cable Beach Hotel (Cable Beach, New Providence Island; tel. 800/333-3333 or 242/327-6000): A family could spend their entire vacation on the grounds of this vast resort. There's a pool area that features the most lavish artificial waterfall this side of Tahiti; a health club at the nearby Crystal Palace that welcomes both guests and their children; Camp Junkanoo, with supervised play for children 3 through 12; and a long list of in-house activities that includes dancing lessons.
Atlantis Paradise Island Resort & Casino (Paradise Island; tel. 800/ATLANTIS in the U.S., or 242/363-3000): This is one of the largest hotel complexes in the world, with endless rows of shops and watersports galore. Both children and adults will enjoy the 5.5-hectare (14-acre) sea world with water slides, a lagoon for watersports, white sandy beaches, and underground grottoes plus an underwater viewing tunnel and 240m (800 ft.) of cascading waterfalls. Its children's menus and innovative, creative children's programs are the best in The Bahamas and perhaps even in the Caribbean.
The Royal Oasis Golf Resort & Casino (Grand Bahama Island; tel. 800/545-1300 or 242/350-7000): Many guests come here just to gamble and work on their tans, but others bring their kids. To divert them, the hotel maintains a pair of playgrounds and a swimming pool inspired by a tropical oasis, and offers children's platters in some of the restaurants. The architecture features lots of "Aladdin and His Lamp" accessories, such as minarets above a decidedly non-Islamic setting.
Best Western Castaways (Grand Bahama Island; tel. 242/352-6682): Here's a good choice for families on a budget. The pagoda-capped lobby is set a very short walk from the ice-cream stands, souvenir shops, and fountains of the International Bazaar. Children under 12 stay free in their parents' room, and the in-house lounge presents limbo and fire-eating shows several evenings a month. The hotel offers a babysitting service and a free shuttle to Xanadu Beach.
Regatta Point (George Town, Great Exuma; tel. 800/688-0309): This resort offers efficiency apartments at moderate prices. On a palm-grove cay, it is family-friendly, with its own little beach. Bikes are available, and Sunfish boats can be rented. There's also a grocery store nearby where you can pick up supplies. Many units are suitable for families of four or five.
