The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas Celebrates Milestone 60th Anniversary with Updates to the Resort and Renovation of the Crescent Wing

Six decades of glamour, elegance and elevated luxury hospitality in The Bahamas - 2022 marks the 60th anniversary for the iconic Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas. Since opening its doors in 1962, the 35-acre (14 hectare) resort has accrued a storied legacy and rich history that it is still famed for today. From playing backdrop to the 2006 remake of 007 Casino Royale to being home to the legendary and immaculate Versailles Gardens, The Ocean Club remains one of the Caribbean’s most ultra-exclusive addresses.

To celebrate this milestone, the resort will honour its past, present and future, unveiling a series of year-long offerings that speak to the stories of this icon. This will be inclusive of new guest programming, brand partnerships, and the announcement of forthcoming room and amenity renovations. In addition, The Ocean Club has launched a social media series inviting past guests to share their memories of the resort with a chance to be a part of a commemorative coffee table book published by Assouline in partnership with The Ocean Club.

“2022 marks a special year for all of us here at The Ocean Club, as we celebrate our storied past, present, and future. Throughout the last six decades, the property has become an iconic grande dame of the Caribbean, with so many incredible stories to tell, and this year, we want to bring these stories to life,” says General Manager John Conway. “Since opening our doors, the heart and soul has been our treasured guests and employees, some of whom have been with us almost from the very beginning. A special milestone, we are honouring these employees, the stories of our past, our current guests and future generations, as we welcome a new glamorous era in style.”

Opened in 1962 as a hideaway for celebrities and international elite, The Ocean Club joined the Four Seasons portfolio in 2017. The resort, previously built as a private estate, was purchased in 1960 by heir to A&P Tea Company George Huntington Hartford II from one of the world’s wealthiest men at the time, Swedish industrialist Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren. Hartford envisioned the luxury estate to be a jewel of The Bahamas for the world’s most elite to gather. To create this haven of glamour he soon began importing European fountains and statues to create what is now the famed, quarter mile stretch of impeccably manicured Versailles Gardens. Over the 60-year history, the resort has played host to iconic cultural moments - and even featured prominently the 2006 remake of the James Bond movie Casino Royale.

In 2016, The Ocean Club underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation of the Hartford Wing, as well as a new beachfront pool, bar and grill. All of the 52 rooms and suites were reimagined and enlarged during the five-month renovation. Looking ahead, The Ocean Club announces another renovation on the horizon. Commencing in August, the Crescent Wing will undergo an extensive renovation over a period of months. The design concept for the renovation of the Crescent Wing was inspired by the exquisite natural setting, rich local culture, and glamorous legacy of the 60-year-old property itself. It is influenced by classical Bahamian architecture and style, the secluded and intimate enclave-style arrangement of the resort and the legendary Versailles-style terraced gardens. The Crescent renovation will be completed by mid-December 2022.

In tandem with the Crescent Wing renovation, additional property-wide enhancements will be made across all of the resort's public spaces, such as the resort's signature restaurant DUNE by Jean-Georges, the gym, Versailles Pool, Ocean Pool and the Spa. To ensure the highest quality of service and experience for its guests, the resort will close from August 29, 2022 until October 2, 2022 to focus on these updates. The resort will reopen its doors again on October 3, 2022, to ring in the final few months of this celebratory 60th anniversary year.

In February 2023, the resort will celebrate the unveiling of the new Crescent Wing along with a three-day weekend celebration commemorating the 60th anniversary.  

To commemorate the past 60 years of glamour, The Ocean Club has curated a variety of new programming and brand partnership activations to help hotel guests to stay in the celebratory mindset during 2022. Kicking off the spring season, guests can expect a new ultra-exclusive culinary experience with the launch of the 007 Secret Menu. Paying homage to all seven Bond films released in the 1960s, The Ocean Club will premier in the legendary Martini Bar, a highly-exclusive, immersive seven-course 007 Secret Menu. Each course will be inspired by one of the films curated by the property’s talented culinary masters, paired with a unique martini from the Martini Bar. The twist? The menu is unknown and guests cannot see it in advance.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and in celebration of the milestone anniversary The Ocean Club is inviting past and present guests to share their most meaningful memories from years past at the resort. Guests who submit photos by visiting the link in the @fsoceanclub Instagram bio will have a chance to be featured in a commemorative 60th Anniversary coffee table book published in partnership with Assouline. All those who have their photo selected will receive a complimentary copy of the book.

Lastly, in celebration of the Diamond Anniversary, the resort is extending the Return to Paradise Offer throughout 2022, which includes a 4th night free and roundtrip airport transfers, subject to availability.

In its 60th year, The Ocean Club has held its position as one of the Caribbean’s most prestigious and sought-after addresses, a playground for celebrities and discerning travellers to create their very own piece of paradise. The resort's storied legacy over six decades and counting continues to pave its way into the history books for generations to come.