Cable Beach Radisson Doesn't Meet Expectations
Written: Dec 10 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Resort has everything you could want at a fairly decent price...
Cons: ...but the quality may not be what you expect
The Bottom Line: There must be better, but how much extra are you willing to pay to stay here?
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| Joubert's Full Review: Radisson Cable Beach Casino and Golf Resort |
The name Cable Beach conjures images of sun-drenched fun. Couple that vision with the Radisson name and ones expectations might be higher than this property deserves.
I spent a week at the Cable Beach Radisson earlier this spring with my wife and parents. We were on the all-inclusive plan, which certainly modified our behavior, but also caused to accept service and quality that we might not ordinarily accept. If you’re planning a trip to The Bahamas, specifically to Cable Beach, you’ll want to read about this property first.
Note: This review was originally posted in the generic Bahamas category on June 9, 2001 before a separate category existed for the hotel. The original has been deleted now that the specific review category is open. My apologies if you have seen this before.
All Inclusive or Pay As You Go
The all-inclusive plan, which covers meals, tips and bar is the best choice should you choose to stay here. A basic Radisson room is available for $250 when booking on the Web, but you can upgrade to an all-inclusive plan for another $100-$150. Your actual price is going to be based on any clubs or other promotions you can invoke.
Here’s the key point – if you’ll eat most of your meals at the hotel, the all-inclusive plan makes good financial sense. A basic room is only cost-effective if you already have plans to travel around the island and will be eating at a variety of places.
Greens fees are also included in the all-inclusive plan, as are airport transfers and the use of the sports center. Even room service is covered so you can choose breakfast in bed each morning if that’s your idea of pampering.
The Room
Even if you haven’t stayed in a Radisson, you’ve stayed in this room before if you’ve been in a Holiday Inn or Marriott. There’s nothing spectacular to remark upon with regard to amenities within the room. There’s a basic bed, coffeepot, television, telephone, desk and the like. The balconies – all rooms face the ocean or pool – are as long as the room and wide enough for a couple of beach chairs. The size is big enough to sit outside for a few minutes, but you won’t be curled up in a chair with a book.
Several things struck me as strange in the room. The safe was there, but the core was missing, almost as if it had to be drilled out because of a mistake. When we checked in, everything, including the lamps, was unplugged. Granted that plugging in a lamp is not a problem. Moving an armoire to plug in a television is a problem. Worse, the hideously priced mini-bar (not covered in the all-inclusive plan) had to be unlocked by a manager in the room. None of these things are particularly daunting or should change your mind about staying here. They were simply peculiar events.
Do remember to tip your housekeeper. As with the restaurant wait staff, the level of your service climbs exponentially for only several dollars a day. You’ll also find that you have more coffee, towels and shampoo then you can ever possibly use.
Your U.S. greenbacks are happily accepted everywhere, the entire staff speaks English (it is a former British colony, after all) and the television shows are all your favorites thanks to satellite, but you are not in America. Telephone surcharges, again not included in any plan, will quickly demonstrate that fact. Forget logging on to the web. A seven minute call cost almost $20 and I could only connect at 19.2. Your cell phone most likely won’t work either. At least, we didn’t meet anyone whose phone worked. That is actually a welcome occurrence, so unless you know that you have international service, save the space and leave the little phone at home.
Food, Glorious Food
The food was actually anything but glorious although I’m sure it ranked above the gruel served to Dickens’ waifs. The portions were typically plentiful, but the food quality, even surprisingly the seafood, was adequate at best. The three other people in my party agreed that had our stay not been all-inclusive that we would have found other places to eat if not simply just complained more often to the management.
The best dishes were typically the simplest. Sandwiches, salads, fresh fruits and other items were on a par with mall fare in any American city. Unfortunately, the entrees and other more complex meals suffered from the use of lower quality ingredients and mundane recipes.
During our last night, my wife and I chose room service and were stunned to find that everything was not only well prepared and tasty, but served hot. How this happened remains a mystery, but at least demonstrates that the kitchens and staff are capable of producing resort-quality meals.
Dinner reservations are required everywhere and prime times go fast. You’ll want to make your reservations on your way to breakfast. Better still, I made mine on my way to the gym in the morning while most of the saner guests were still slumbering.
Following is a rundown of each of the hotel’s eateries. We did not get a chance to try out The Forge - a steakhouse and seafood restaurant where food is prepared tableside. Reservations went fast every morning.
Amici - The service here was the best of any of the hotel’s restaurants. A gratuity upon entering assured good seating, two servers and a maitre d’hotel who regularly visited to ensure all was well. The setting was just off the pool area, but the designers did a nice job in creating the appearance of a freestanding restaurant. As with most of our meals, we found that the food was palatable but bland.
Bimini Grill - A large, indoor/outdoor trough masquerading as a buffet that served breakfast and lunch, the BG was often crammed to capacity with tourists carbo-loading for their next nap. The food was plentiful, but pedestrian. Think of a cut-rate buffet in your own hometown and quadruple the number of offerings to envision the experience. Service was usually adequate, particularly for a buffet, but again, choose simpler fare or fresh food for a nicer experience.
Dolphin Bar & Grill - This is the poolside restaurant. Conch, hamburgers, fries, hotdogs and the like were prepared and served well. The service also shone here. Despite an all-inclusive package, I can’t encourage guests to tip a small bit. The extra money yields exponential returns. By the end of the trip, I was ready to eat all my meals here.
Island’s - This is the least formal of the sit down restaurants and becomes a karaoke bar at 10:00 p.m. The food here was also the best at the hotel with the exception of that room service meal, but slow service and lack of atmosphere made the experience unpleasant. Even the chairs were uncomfortable, and when diners start talking about the seating, one knows that the restaurant missed the mark.
Adult Slurpees
Throughout the resort are machines resembling the same frozen drink machines that are used to create Slurpees in every 7-11 throughout the known world. These machines pour virgin daiquiris and pina coladas. Bartenders slosh really poor rail alcohol on top, but will mix Bacardi or another brand upon request. I was disappointed several times to see that they agreed to do just that, but poured the cheaper stuff anyway. On the inclusive plan, they would actually get a better (and automatic) tip, so I don’t understand why they would skimp unless they were acting under management orders.
You’ll find these lounges near the restaurants, in the pool (yes, in the pool), at the beach, and off the main lobby. You’ll also find them crowded three-deep pre and post lunch and dinner. Beach frying time, say around 2:00 when silly pasty folk loaded down with lunch slumber in the sun on a white beach, is when you’ll find service is fast and accurate. Other than that, you’re just one of the kids screaming for a grownup Slurpee and they’re poured as fast as the sugary concoction can shoot out of the Slurpee machine.
Is That A Roll of Quarters In Your Pocket?
Nightlife at this hotel consists of the aforementioned karaoke bar, several other lounges and the Crystal Palace casino, wedged between the Radisson and Marriott. The casino is actually associated with the Marriott, but connected to the Radisson. You need never walk outside to enter the casino.
Here’s an interesting fact. Bahamian citizens may not gamble in casinos. Remember, this is not Des Moines, Des Plaines or your hometown. The rules are different. So is the speed of service, particularly in this casino. Not only was the wait staff abysmally slow, but even the cashiers and other employees acted lethargically. We actually did well in the casino – well enough on several nights to pay for all of our incidentals and still come home with money. That’s luck, plain and simple, but even cashing out winners was hard. And unlike a U.S. casino, pit bosses and other employees were few and far between.
Sports fans, even non-gamblers, will enjoy the sports book, a dark, paneled amphitheater with a dozen or so televisions and the ability to bet on anything. Rarely crowded, this is a nice place to relax for a few minutes, sip a drink and watch a few minutes of some event.
Other Recreation
The pool area is nice, but fairly crowded. A Jacuzzi sits on either end and we found those to be fairly private. Of course, a huge beach stretches out steps away from the pool area. A very small and shallow roped off area is patrolled by lifeguards. You’re not going to do much swimming here, although there are jet skis and other toys for rent on the beach, although they’re not associated with the hotel.
Prices are somewhat variable, but count on paying $50-100 an hour for a jet ski. That’s worth the price, though, because once you clear the roped off area and gun the motor, you feel like Captain Nemo himself. Florida seems only a few hours away. Heck, you could even make the actual ocean in this thing until you remember that you were cautioned not to lose sight of land or they launch a boat for you.
One hint for the jet ski rental. Try to bargain down for a whole day and split the costs. And wear a waterproof watch so you know when to return.
Between the beach and pool are several miniature golf AstroTurf greens in horrible shape, a couple of ping-pong tables and two pool tables that belong in Drew Carey’s backyard. The equipment has been abused by years of guests, including children, and is left out to the salt air all day. If you enjoy or have any skill at any of these games, you will be sorely disappointed.
Golf is available and included in the all-inclusive package, but there’s a mandatory cart rental. The gym is adequate, but the cardio area gets somewhat crowded early in the morning. Clustered around a television blaring CNN are a half dozen bikes and treadmills. A suite of squash courts stand to the other side, but the most impressive part of the gym was the weight room. I don’t do a lot of weight training, but they had everything I’ve ever seen in any other room outside a Gold’s or Bally’s; certainly more than the equal of any hotel gym. Outdoor tennis courts are also available here.
Finally, a small shopping mezzanine connects the hotel and the casino. The prices are actually slightly lower than in most hotel shopping areas, but better pricing awaits you downtown. We did both, and although we gave up on downtown and returned to the hotel for souvenirs, we did so merely for the sake of convenience.
The Bottom Line
We visited the Atlantis while we were here, and while I wouldn’t pay their prices, I can’t help but shake the feeling that there are better bargains to be had in this part of The Bahamas. For comparative purposes, one might start with the adjacent Marriott since the location and many amenities will be the same. The experience is neither very good nor very bad; not a bargain, nor a swindle. There’s a basic value available for a little less cost. This would not be my first choice for lodging should I return to The Bahamas, but I might reconsider if the price differential were significant.
© 2001 Joubert
Recommended:
No
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