I love Freeport it very laid back. The people are friendly and the food is great. I was not too sure about the hotel because I read some of the reviews before going but I am glad that I was able to form my own opinions. The rooms were clean and spacious and so was the pool area. It is not a 5 star hotel but we did not expect it to be. The staff was more than helpful. The moment we arrived we were looking for a place to eat, the lady at the information desk called us a cab and suggested some nice restaurants in Port Lucaya. Any information we needed they were more than willing to help. We booked with Discovery Cruise and everything was paid in full we had no problems with any extra charges are anything. We did not get to do much on the island because it was raining all day Saturday and it was very cold so I suggest that you don't go in January. But apart from that the island was safe, calm, lovely and the locals were exceptionally kind.

i thought my room was paid an full, i had to get a iron from the front desk an it had a shortage in it. the blow dryer didnt work. the parking has no lights, i felt unsafe it was so dark

Most things around this hotel are closed (>80% have been closed for 4 years. The International Bazaar, casino, most restaurants and bars all closed), if you go there we advise on hiring a car since the beach is very far away too. We didn't experience the staff as being very friendly. When asking about information they weren't helpful and even provided us with wrong information on two occasions. The rooms are basic but clean. If you are looking for a hotel on Grand Bahama we suggest Port Lucaya as more things will be open there.

The Royal Islander was a nice clean mid-scale hotel across from the International Bazaar. The staff was courteous and helpful, especially the owner. The only real problem is that there were very few guests at the time we went. Of course, the International Bazaar is a shell of its former self, and the owner told us that the closure of the nearby casino had really made it difficult for them. The hotel stay was really a pleasant experience, but we found ourselves constantly hopping a bus to Port Lucaya to find things to do or to find a place to eat. The hotel does have a coffee shop/small restaurant. We ate breakfast there a couple of times, and it was okay. They provide a free shuttle to Xanadu Beach about every hour. It's a quieter beach than the one in Lucaya and is very nice.