Sept / Oct 2016 | Business View Caribbean

50 September 2016 - Business View Caribbean Business View Caribbean - September 2016 51 The Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina The big game in town Bimini in the Bahamas, is comprised of a chain of is- lands located about 53 miles due east of Miami, and is known as the “Big Game Fishing Capital of the World.” Indeed, according to Robbie Smith, the Dock Master of the Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina, the larg- est fish ever caught in the Bahamas – a 1060 pound blue marlin – was reeled in there in 1979. The original Bimini Big Game Fishing Club was founded in 1936, by Nassau entrepreneur, Neville Stuart, and quickly began attracting famous people from around the world, including American author and sportsman, Ernest Hemingway. Originally a formal dining club, with tuxedo and tie as the preferred attire for gentlemen, the club moved to its current location in 1954 with the completion of a marina and six cottages for visitors. In 1963, the main hotel building opened, and some years later, the property was acquired by the Bacardi family, who renovated and operated it for many years. Today, the Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina is owned by the Southern California-based Hankey Group of Companies. Located in Alice Town on North Bimini, the 3.5-acre property is a boutique style resort with 51 guest rooms and cottages and 75 boat slips. It has recently undergone a $6 million renovation which in- cluded a new, larger freshwater pool, new docks at the full service marina, new landscaping, new furniture for the guest rooms, and a renovation of its most popular restaurant, the Big Game Bar and Grill. In addition, ac- cording to General Manager, Larry Williams, the facility is reviving its beachside restaurant, Sharkey’s, by put- ting in a poolside bar, and is contemplating opening a new restaurant named after Hemingway, himself. Most of Big Game’s guests come from southeast Flor- ida, followed by Texas, and the northeast U.S. The re- sort is open all year ‘round and according to Smith, “As long as the weather is good during the season, we’re pretty much full every weekend. During the off-season, it’s weather permitting, because you’ve got to cross the 50 miles of Gulf Stream. But you’re only two hours away by boat and 20 minutes by plane. Bimini is the little getaway.” While the Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina is not the only “game in town,” according to Williams, it’s still the “big game in town.” “We have the Bahamian fla- vor,” adds Smith, “which is what a lot of tourists come back for. Big Game is the place in town that everybody wants to get to and be able to say ‘Oh, this is Bimini!’” AT A GLANCE WHO: The Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina WHAT: A boutique style resort and marina WHERE: Alice Town on North Bimini Island WEBSITE : www.biggameclubbimini.com