Grand Central
![I wouldn't recommend this hotel to my worse enemy. If you have standards, do not stay here!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/08/01/10/54/i-wouldn-t-recommend.jpg?w=300&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/0a/35/1e/9e/room-on-2nd-floor-with.jpg?w=300&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/10/f5/20/49/20171013-113924-largejpg.jpg?w=300&h=-1&s=1)
View prices for your travel dates
About
Grand Central is an excellent choice for travellers visiting Nassau, offering a budget friendly environment alongside many helpful amenities designed to enhance your stay.
For those interested in checking out popular landmarks while visiting Nassau, Grand Central is located a short distance from Coin of the Realm (0.0 km) and Bay Street (0.1 km).
Guest rooms offer amenities such as air conditioning and a desk, and guests can go online with free internet access offered by the hotel.
Travellers looking to enjoy some ribs can head to The Poop Deck, Montagu Gardens Steak & Grill, or Lukka Kairi Restaurant and Bar. Otherwise, you may want to check out a Mediterranean restaurant such as Athena Cafe & Bar, Greek Islands Restaurant and Bar, or Gregory's Mediterranean Delights.
During your visit, be sure to check out popular art galleries like The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Doongalik Studios, and Antonius Roberts Studio & Gallery, which are all a short distance from the hotel.
Enjoy your stay in Nassau!
Location
Reviews
- 6
- 7
- 5
- 15
- 24
- Filter
- English
To give you a little background, I am a Scuba professional and have the opportunity to travel all over the world. It's a great job, but a lot of work. In March, my company sent me on a trip to the Bahamas with a group of people. Most of them were staying at the Towne Hotel (which is probably a better choice). My reservation was made last minute (and during spring break), so the Towne was sold out as was much of the rest of Nassau.
I am in my mid-40s and while I am not spoiled by any means, I do like nicer places to stay. They do not need to be the Four Seasons, but it does need to be clean, have a good air conditioner, hot water in the shower, and any other perks are appreciated. A comfortable bed is a nice perk, but I have learned that in the Caribbean that most beds are VERY FIRM and clean is better than comfortable. Especially for a short stay. With that being said, we were only going to be in the hotel one night as we were all getting on a liveaboard the next morning.
I arrived in Nasau and this was not my first trip there. While it has been a few years, I remember it being overly"cruise-shippy" and not that impressive. From my perspective, Nassau has not changed. I used a transfer comoany (with Mr. Wright) to take me to the hotel and cannot be more impressed with them. Excellent transfer company.
We pulled up to the hotel in about 20 minutes from the hotel. And, as for the location, you can trust the reviews. It is centrally located to the tourist section of Nassau and you are walking distance to EVERYTHING. Although, much of it shuts down in the evening. It's worth the short taxi ride or long walk to head to the Fish Fry area for dinner or music in the evening.
When you pull up to the outside of the hotel. It is a typical midtown building with little glitz or glamor. The lobby and front desk is small and it is crystal clear when you walk into the hotel that there are no facilities and truly no frills with this place (with the exception of the Coke machine in the front desk area).
The staff is friendly and helpful. I had a fair amount of luggage because I was on a Scuba trip and one of the maids helped me with my bags. At one point, I wanted a drink and one of the staff walked me to the Pharmacy down the street where they sold drinks and snacks. In fact, upon checkout the same staff member ran to a main street to hail a taxi for me. Have no real negative criticism of the staff. For the most part, they were friendly and helpful.
After check-in, I walked up to the third floor (my room). It's a this point, I thought of one of the reviews I read: If Hell had a name it would be the Grand Central Hotel. The hallways are dark, narrow, devoid of windows and smell like bleach/cleaning detergent. There was some relief that I could smell the overpowering bleach smell, because I figured at least someone was cleaning.
After some "Escher Style" stair cases, I navigated to the room.
The room was small, had two beds, a TV from the 90s and bathroom. It didn't look dirty, but was definitely old. The rug was a little nasty. The window was open and a loud compressor was running behind the hotel. First thought: "It wasn't the best room, I had ever checked into, but not the worst either. It was only one night". That was my mantra for the entire stay.
I walked into the bathroom.
The bathroom was lousy. Rusty faucets. Broken fixtures. A busted (small) window and screen. No soap or shampoo and a towel that reminded me more of a loin cloth. Thus, if you stay here, bring your own towel and toiletries. We ended up showering at a friend's hotel room at the Towne. You'll find out later in the review why.
Around 2pm, the power went out. Now to be fair. the power problem was not the Grand Central's fault. The Air Condition wasn't awesome, before the power outage, so the room was fairly warm. This was my opportunity to go walk around town. Felt like a cruise port.
I got back to the hotel around 5pm and fortunately, the power came back on at 6pm. Changed clothes and went out to dinner. Got back around 9pm and the power was out again. It was a power company issue, not the hotel. But it made the stay at the Grand Central even worse. The power remained out for the rest of the stay. And, if you thought the hallways were dark before that, we needed a flashlight to check out the next morning.
An uneventful night.
The next morning, there was no water in the bathroom, so we went over to the Towne Hotel. Seemed like an OK place and the Ritz Carlton compared to the Grand Central. After showering, I returned to the Towne. Still no power, checked out. Carried the bags through the maze of stairs and dark corridors. Got in a cab and called it "an experience"
Thus, the real story!!!
If you are a spring break kid (and there were many). A single guy on a fishing trip looking for budget accommodations. You think the Super 8 or Motel 6 are awesome, then this is probably an inexpensive way to go to Nassau. If you have any standards at all when it comes to booking a hotel, only in desperation should you stay here. And then, reconsider. It wasn't a horrible place, but the reality is that it is a cheap, old hotel with NO frills and even with diligent maintenance and cleaning you can't scrub away the fact that it needs to be renovated. I wouldn't say DON"T STAY here. But, for $100 more (plus or minus), I wish we had stayed at the Hilton or on Paradise Island. If you can't afford that $100 (as Nassau is expensive), then Welcome to the Grand Central Hotel.
Footnote: Nassau is not my favorite Caribbean getaway. We were there for one night. If you are looking for cheap Caribbean, look somewhere else. This is not it.
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/0e/22/64/d3/the-actuall-bed-bug.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/0e/22/65/96/grand-central-hotel.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/0e/22/66/96/more-bed-bugs.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/08/b5/17/c3/grand-central.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/08/b5/17/e9/grand-central.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/08/b5/18/01/grand-central.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/05/2f/21/e7/this-bed-was-a-mess.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/05/2f/21/e8/side-view-of-bathroom.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/05/2f/21/e9/nasty-bathroom-sink.jpg?w=500&h=-1&s=1)
The hotel is near EVERYTHING, so that in itself makes it a great option. I grabbed brochures from the airport, went to the hotel, grabbed some more, checked in, and when I got to my room, I went through them all. I made a list of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see over the next several days. Day by day, I did my self guided tour of Nassau... all within walking distance of the hotel. I did walk kind of far on the first day and purposely went to the farthest thing first (Ardastra Gardens) and then walked my way back in.
When I come back, I will stay here again.
CON: The wifi is only accessible from the lobby.
The room is clean, however its old and ran down. The bathroom window had no glass in it, therefore the bathroom was 120 degrees all day, which wasn't bothersome for me. Ac in the bedroom was great and cooled the room down to 65 degrees. Sink is outdated and the shower had not much water pressure.Over all I still ca say its a good place to stay , If you are on the budget my room was 300 bucks for 5 days which would be enough only 1 night in any other places. So if you need a clean bed and a room and you can disregard the oldness and the fact that this hotel is outdated than there you have it. I recommend this place.
the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end on entering the building,i was,nt sure which was worse...the smell or the bulletproof panel at the reception desk which had a slit for credit cards. against my better judgement i went up in the vomit smelling lift and into the room. one of the windows was bricked up...the headboard was hanging off ,the sheets were stiff and grey, the bathroom was filthy ,need i go on? needless to say we checked out and ran. this hotel should be condemned and certainly not advertised for human consumption on the internet. grand or hotel it aint!
"top floor, with balcony facing the street are very nice, there are not rooms with one bed"Read full review
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing