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About
3.0
#24 of 32 hotels in Nassau
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
The El Greco is Nassau's premier historic boutique hotel situated in the heart of Downtown Nassau, across from fun-filled Junkanoo Beach and in short walking distance to shopping, entertainment and historic sites. Our prices include free telephone calls to the US and Canada, free local calls and free use of the internet. At the El Greco each and every guest is treated like family and made to feel at home.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Quaint
Location
Augusta and West Bay Street At Augusta St, P.O. Box N-4187, Nassau N-7940 New Providence Island
El Greco Hotel
215 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Another relaxing stay in the Sandos El Greco. The hotel amd grounds are spotlessly clean and all the staff are very friendly and polite. Love the different areas of the hotel and the steps down to the beach are a good daily work out! The entertainment guys work very hard, although the pre show games are sometimes childish. The visiting entertainment varies in quality but the flamenco night was a real highlight. The food was fresh and varied and when there wasn't anything I fancied the restaurant manager was more than happy to bring me something I did. We love this place and have booked for next year already and extended from 7 to 10 days. Can't wait to return!
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Cornettos available at the pool bar durong thr day and a dish of crisps in the evening if you...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great place near Junkoo beach , staff was extremely kind and welcoming. We had a party of 32 high school students on a missions trip . Close to all stores , beaches, cafe and water park. Just an fyi, Very outdated , Medium pool . Very Hot water old reviews were fixed. Motel style very basic not a resort. no coffee , no breakfast on site no dinning on site . Snack site . Limited parking on street. Staff laundry
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Some rooms are upgraded but not modern , the mattress is soft and springy. Upper level is best...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great location (within walking distance of downtown restaurants/shopping, a short bus ride to Cable Beach or cab ride to Paradise Island), inexpensive (no hidden taxes & fees), family run hotel, generally friendly staff, quiet & cozy, public beach across the street, neat little pool in surrounding Mediterranean style courtyard, free breakfast, decent sized rooms, free internet and U.S./Canada phone calls in lobby, value, value, value.
Cons:
Not for those who want luxury, some wear & tear, beach across the street is small and not as nice as Cable & Cabbage Beaches, lacking some of the "perks" of resort hotels, room decor a bit outdated, may be difficult to confirm or make reservations, no website, don't expect to make long phone calls with free phones.
Review:
My wife and I stayed at the El Greco in late March for 4 nights and had a pleasant time staying there. If you are someone who wants the resort experience, or has high standards of luxury you are bound to feel negatively about it. However, if you are on a budget and looking for a good place to stay in the Nassau area, and want to be near the happenings in town this is the place to stay.
I did a great deal of research trying to find a good place to stay in New Providence. I looked at Orange Hill, which has a great rating here, but found that it was A) far from downtown and other areas of interest, B) cab rides are not cheap and C) it still cost more than one night at the El Greco, which with taxes and fees cost me exactly $110 for a room for 2 with a King size bed. Otherwise the other less expensive hotels in the Nassau area, as many learn/know, have several hidden fees and taxes that raise the price of ones stay significantly. Secondly, as it turns out, we were in Nassau during the Spring Break period and one of the other inexpensive hotels Nassau Palms Resort, which is nearby on Bay St., looked like a meat market for American college students on a low budget. I thought it looked very sleazy and was glad I did not decide to stay there.
What makes El Greco a good place to stay for the budget traveler is the price, as I already mentioned, but also the value you get as a result. Of course if you visit the Bahamas you probably want togo to the beach. Well, right across the street is an accessible public beach (Western Esplanade) where you don't have to sneak through some hotel to enter like Cable Beach. That being said, the beach is not as well kept as Cable and Cabbage beaches, most likely because there are are no resorts attached to it. It's also somewhat narrow, but it still has a nice view into the harbor/bay and is fine for sunbathing and swimming. There are also a few volleyball nets there and places to buy food and drink.
The fact that you can walk from the El Greco to nearby restaurants (like a decent, inexpensive -- by Nassau standards -- AUTHENTIC Indian restaurant towards downtown, which I recommend if you get tired of all of the fried foods like cracked conch, grouper fingers and burgers) as well as the duty-free shopping downtown is a huge bonus. My wife and I pretty much walked each time when we were going anywhere downtown including to one of the nicest and most properly priced restaurants in town Café Matisse, although it was a bit far.
I'm from NYC, so I'm used to walking, but I also wasn't worried at all to walk at night most places in the downtown area, especially if you are walking down Bay St. The streets may get empty at night but that doesn't mean they are't safe for two people to walk together on. Just use common sense, and you should be fine. During the day you can also take the 10 bus on Bay St. for $1 (pay when you get off but first make sure you wave it down, there are few actual bus stops) to Cable Beach, which takes all of 10-15 minutes, or less than 5 minutes to Downtown . For Paradise Island/Atlantis/Cabbage Beach it's a $9 cab ride from anywhere downtown (including the El Greco).
As I said, the rooms are not exactly the most luxurious that one can find, but I don't necessarily think that some of the big so-called "luxury" resorts are that luxurious anyway. When I walked through Atlantis I thought of the big Las Vegas hotels, which in my view are somewhat overrated and rather cheesily decorated. If you are comfortable with spending huge amounts of money to spend time on a crowded compound with a lot of things for kids to do, then Atlantis will probably make more sense for you.
In terms of size, our room at the El Greco had plenty of space and an area with a coffee table and 4 chairs. I did notice some erosion on the tub drain (if that's a problem for you), but the shower water pressure was fine and the temperature hot. The decor and bedding is rather tacky, (which seems rampant in Nassau, based on what I've seen in photos) but in terms of the bed's comfort and size we had no complaints. There's no ice machine, but instead a huge cooler filled with ice for guests. Our room also had a medium sized TV with cable which was also fine.
Sure, if you stay at El Greco you won't get one of the million brightly colored wrist bands that you see people wearing around Nassau that grants you "access" to supposedly public beaches and chairs. However, we never encountered a problem going into resort hotels or beaches, other than having to cross some private property at Cable Beach, and even laid down on some chairs as well. Cabbage Beach has easier to access and find public entrances, which were also away from the crowds in front of Atlantis allowing us a more intimate, relaxing beach experience anyway.
I did experience some confusion while making reservations at El Greco, but it worked out fine in the end. The only other problem I had was I had to conduct an important interview on the phone to the U.S. with the lobby phone and the hotel kept asking me to get off of it while I was talking because they needed it, eventually threatening to charge me. As it turns out a member of the family that owns the hotel also needed to make an important call, but that was a tense situation. When they advertised "Free calls to the U.S. & Canada" I mistakenly assumed that this was from ones room. Just be advised that the phone calls to the U.S. & Canada are from public phones that use the Internet (i.e. Vonage) in the lobby, so I wouldn't plan on making any lengthy calls, despite the fact that it probably costs them nothing (other than the monthly fee for unlimited calls with phone service like Vonage). To be fair, other than that mixup the staff was quite friendly to my wife and I, and later the grandmother (I think that's who she is) who often sits in the lobby repeated said to me that I could use the phone as long as I liked whenever I saw her.
Other than those minor issues our experience there was quite positive, and we feel like we made a good choice, considering the other options in Nassau, and our budget. Since things like food on the island are overpriced, it helps to find other ways to cut costs In that regard the El Greco and its good value make it a wise choice for the budget conscious traveller who is looking for a decent place to stay in New Providence.
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Date of stay: March 2006
Value
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Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After making our reservation via email (for an overnight stay in mid-November 2005) and having to ask three times over a week before getting a message back confirming our booking and room rate, we weren't sure what to expect when we arrived at El Greco. Surprisingly, service was a strong point, and went a long way toward balancing some of the deficiencies of the place. It's not a bad destination if you need a reasonably priced place to stay in downtown Nassau...very nice atmosphere...attractive common areas...but it is a little beat-up around the edges and starting to show its age. It is not a 'not-nice' place at all...but probably would not be my first choice for a vacation stay. The service from the very welcoming, cheerful and accommodating staff (as mentioned above) went above and beyond: the porter who took the time to show us where all of the light switches were in our room; the impossibly sunny 'Good Morning!' from the desk staff at breakfast...but was quirky at times too: being asked at check-in what rate I had arranged because the clerk seemed unable to find details of our reservation in the ledger. (BTW taxi fare from/to the airport--for two adults plus luggage--was $24-$25 before I added the tip... but the board at NAS shows the fare to old Hilton, which is several blocks further toward downtown, as $22. Were the drivers adding a tip before they quoted the fare on arrival, and ending up with two tips? That's my guess. You might watch that.) EG has a tiny but nicely furnished lobby with a television, a case of cold drinks for sale, and two internet-capable computers and two phones available for free guest use (including US phone calls, if I heard correctly). Our room was okay... average-size and simply furnished but comfortable...like an older 3-out-of-5 rated room you might find anywhere in the US. It had a TV and a/c...worn but clean bathroom and fixtures...nice thick towels ...but no clock radio. The room doorknob was so loose when we arrived that it was more or less hanging--pretty basic thing for maintenance to miss--I tightened the screws with a nail file. There's a nice courtyard around a tiny pool that can only be described as CUTE--but the tile is missing from the steps. There's a coffee urn on the pool bar for a quick cup anytime--but not a coffee cup in sight. Breakfast, included in our room rate, was McDonald's egg biscuits (foam cups for the coffee arrived with them)--but you'd better get there early, because three or four guys I can only guess were taxi drivers came in to drink the coffee and help themselves to the biscuits (?!). There's no restaurant on site, but an Italian seafood restaurant with a VERY nice menu and an ice cream place are right outside the front door... there's a coffee shop right across the street...and a couple of blocks' walk takes you to all of the dining and shopping in downtown Nassau. We were not there long enough to take advantage of it, but the Western Esplanade Beach is practically across the road. The hotel neighborhood is not that bad--just a mixed middle class commercial/residential area--but there are a couple of derelict buildings on adjoining streets on the downtown side--with attendant loiterers--that create an atmosphere that some folks might find less than comfortable. I spent ten years in the Marine Corps and don't even blink at anything except nearby lightning and very large dogs, but I did keep my eyes open while going through there after dark. TA users, feel free to email with any questions about El Greco or downtown Nassau in general. We only spent one day in the downtown area but I'll answer any questions that I can.
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Date of stay: November 2005
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Want to get away from the crowds and overpriced accomodiations in Nassau? My family and I will never stay anywhere but the El Greco. With Diane Greene as the hotel manager (she is new, only 25 years at the hotel), and the one of the nicest owners, Nick Pikramenos, and a wonderful house keeping lady, Ms. Mary (a new employee also, only been making a guest feel wonderful for over 22 years. I can assure that you and your family will not be disappointed. Nick, is even adding on a wonderful Mediterranean Restaurant which will cover two floors. We particularly like the fact you can walk across the street and be on a beautiful scenic beach where you can view the cruise ships entering the harbor and the Chalk's seaplane landing in the channel. Have a Wonderful Time!Bill
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do not even look at this place unless you are a crack head that likes to go to the strip joint next door. My plain was canceled on a layover so I had to find a hotel to stay the night. Everything was booked solid due to Xmas vacation. I had to pay cash! To theses two really shady guys behind the counter, they don't take credit cards? I new I was screw right then. I paid the guy $270.00 for the night. Went up to the room and it looked like something out of a crime scene. Went out on the deck to see the strip club and prostitutes right below me. Layers down fully clothed to fall asleep but couldn't because of the bumping music coming from next door strip joint. I did fall asleep to wake up in the morning by some local girl yelling and screaming at another girl, so I went out there to see what was up with all the fighting. The big girl smashed a beer bottle on the curb and was trying to cut the other one. I filmed it. I will try to attach it to this review. Don't even co cider this place if you are traveling with anyone but a bodyguard.
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Date of stay: January 2015
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We traveled to Bahamas for 1 week on a Budget. We stayed the 1st night at Comfort Suites in Paradise Island just because we wanted to experience Atlantis but did not have enough money for the whole week to stay there. Price at Comfort Suite for 4 of us was $360 a night price at el Greco at the Presidential Suite $140 although this room usually costs $180. I have many things to say the Prons and cons. I reserved with Youlanda and Diane 5 months ahead of time and it was the best customer service ever. They do everything they can to work things out with you concerning prices and any other issues you can have. They told me since I was booking so ahead of time they would give me a special rate of $140 per night for the Presidential Suite because that room normally costs between 180-200 a night. The Presidential Suite has the size of an 800sf apartment not kidding. It has to comfy queen beds with a seperate area for a dinning table and fridge and a seperate area for sitting. Then the biggest plus is the huge but huge Balcony you have facing the Junkanoo Beach. We traveled 11 in total all family members. Five of them stayed at the Junior Suite and let me tell you that room does not even get to the toes to the Presidential. Our room was so comfy that all the other family members would wake us up in the mornings to come and have breakfast with us and would not want to get out of our presidential suite ( so we had no intimacy at all) , no ones fault just that the room was so spacious like the size of an apartment that all 11 of us would be in there when we were not doing activities out. The truth I did not like at all the room they had and I think the real deal is the get any of the 3 rooms facing the ocean and if not you my night the Greco. I did not like that there was no hotwater during our stay and that is the con I put to the place. I loved the fact it was near to everything within walking distance and we never had to take a taxi unless going to Paradise Island. We went walking to the Fish Fry 3 times during the week ( it is a 10-15 minute walk). Went walking to the strawmarket (8-10 minute walk), downtown (8 minute walk). We chose this place because it was the only place that would allow us to stay 6 people in a room. All the other places I had quoted said I needed to reserve a 2nd bedroom. That is why I mentioned that Diane is willing to work everyhting out with you. When I 1st had booked I tolld Diane is was 5 ( both parents, 2 kids and Grandpa) but then Grandma jumped in the trip after I had reserved and I had no idea how I was going to be allowed for this extra person? Diane said it was a 4 person bedroom but 5 could be allowed. How could I then tell her it was no longer 5 persons but now it was 6? Well I decided to tell her and asked if there was an additional cost well guess what? Nope. I just asked for an extra rollabed for 10 per night and that was it. They really do not care if you are 5-6 or maybe 7 in a room as long as you can make your self fit. I did not hear any noise at night, in the daytime it is noisy but who cares you are not even in the room the whole day. It did not think it looked like a dangerous place like others have said my husband and dad went to the Fish fry walking at 9pm and came back at 11:30pm and nothing happened. Like others said no breakfast but there is coffee at the Lobby.
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Date of stay: July 2012
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed two nights at the El Greco Hotel. First of all, about the hotel itself: the grounds were very well kept, the plants were beautiful, and the pool was immaculately clean and at a good temperature. Our room was very large, with a sitting room. The cable TV worked as it should. Our room had a back door out to a large balcony that was shared by two other rooms and had a view of the ocean and the Italian restaurant below. The bathroom was clean. The staff were all very nice and accommodating.
As for the bad points, there were many small details that could have been attended to which would have improved the rating. For example, the wall-mounted bedside lamps had plastic over the shades (and still bearing stickers which clearly state that this should be removed prior to use of the lamp) and the light bulb and surrounding metal were covered in dust and tiny dead bugs. The carpet and furniture were a bit worn but not too bad, but the pillows on the bed were threadbare and not covered with pillowcases (we found pillows with cases on them in the closet). The balcony, although nice, had a large gaping hole in the ceiling. Also, from the balcony the primary view is not the ocean but the abandoned hotel looming several stories overhead and located directly across the alley. As for the bathroom, it is small but functional, and there was obviously a relatively recent effort to improve it with a new tile countertop, but it clashes with the old tiles still in place on the wall and shower. The shower had terrible water pressure and spontaneously variable temperature. Doing a Google search for more information about this hotel quickly revealed that it is up for sale, and so we weren't really surprised to see that there did not seem to be much attention being paid to improvements or repairs.
Being downtown, there was a lot of noise, including truck traffic and a barking dog that kept us up on the first night. It is on the beach, but you cross a busy road to get there and we did not use it due to the noise and not really feeling safe there. It was nice to be able to walk to restaurants like Senor Frogs and to the Straw Market and Prince George Wharf, but the walk was treacherous due to sidewalks ending forcing us to cross usually heavy traffic. There were lots of abandoned and decaying buildings in the area, which was sad.
Overall, a good value for the money, considering how very much more expensive it is to stay at Cable Beach or Paradise Island, but not a great area and we didn't feel safe walking in the area at night. We had a dinner at the Italian restaurant right there and it was fabulous! We also tried the Conch Fritters restaurant whose menu we found in the room and it was okay but not great.
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Date of stay: May 2005
Value
Rooms
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was my first trip to the Bahamas, I think that the El Greco was perfect. It was conveniently located across the street from the beach and only a few blocks from town. It was one of the cleanest hotels I have ever stayed in. If you are looking for a nice clean hotel conveniently located with a nice price the El Greco is the place to be. I won't stay anywhere else!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Things YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE spending your moneys at this Terrible Hotel
1. Walk with mosquito repellent-The room is filled with mosquitoes and I really don't want the staff telling you as they told me, "You should have walked with your repellent" 2. There's no refrigerator (a basic commodity) in the room, you need one you have to rent one for 20US, if it's available 3. You need to walk with you own soap, shampoo etc., there's NONE 4. The locks are so corrosive, that there's a great chance of you being trapped in as I was 5. The bathroom is tattered and of very, very poor quality 6. The whole place is bartered and classless and ABSOLUTELY NOT where you would want to spend your moneys or your vacation, PERIOD.
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Date of stay: April 2015
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Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
El Greco. I'll keep that in mind when we book next. We didn't get an answer 2 months ago when this was posted and no one answered the phone there ... so we booked elsewhere ... 2 months ago.
Wow so sorry it took so long to answer. Def walking distance to downtown shops and such prb 20 min or so depending. I walked everywhere only took taxi to go outside the area of Nassau. The beach is right across the street too so that's a plus.
There are more places to choose from in the Nassau area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
el greco nassau, hotel el greco
LOCATION
CaribbeanBahamasNew Providence IslandNassau
NUMBER OF ROOMS
26
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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