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Golf carts roll past low-slung villas on North Bimini, fishing boats fill the marinas, and the beach is never far away. The island is only 50 miles from the Florida coast, close enough for a quick trip by air, ferry, or private boat, yet distinctly Bahamian once you arrive.
Now one of the biggest names in American vacation ownership is coming to the island.
Westgate Resorts is opening Westgate Bimini Bay, its first destination in the Caribbean and the latest addition to a portfolio approaching 60 resort properties. Reservations are already available for stays beginning Oct. 1, bringing another accommodation option to one of The Bahamas’ most popular small-island escapes.
The new resort will feature newly renovated studio and two-bedroom villas a short walk from the beach, with accommodations sleeping either four or six people. Westgate is positioning the property for couples, families, fishing trips, and longer Bimini vacations, with fully furnished villas rather than conventional hotel rooms.
The debut also takes Westgate beyond its traditional North American resort portfolio at a moment when The Bahamas is reporting record visitor numbers. The country welcomed 12.5 million total visitors in 2025, compared with 11.2 million the year before.
What You’ll Find at Westgate Bimini Bay
The accommodations are the center of the new Westgate experience on Bimini.
The resort will offer studio and two-bedroom villas, giving you choices suited to everything from a short couple’s escape to a family trip or fishing weekend with friends. The largest units sleep up to six people, an important distinction on an island where villas can be especially useful for groups traveling together.
Westgate says the villas have been newly renovated and come fully furnished. The property is located near Bimini’s white-sand beaches, putting swimming, boating, snorkeling, and fishing within easy reach during a stay.
On-island management will be handled by G&G Luxury Property Management, a Bahamian company based in Bimini. The partnership gives the property local management as Westgate enters a destination outside its longtime U.S. resort network.
The company has also opened the property to existing Westgate Timeshare Owners, who can begin exchanging into Bimini Bay immediately.
Why Bimini Is a Natural First Caribbean Stop for Westgate
Bimini has long occupied a distinctive position in Bahamian travel.
Its location near South Florida makes the island particularly convenient for travelers coming from the United States. You can arrive by commercial airline, ferry, or private boat, which creates several ways to plan a short island vacation.
Once you are there, the trip becomes distinctly Bimini.
Fishing remains one of the island’s signature draws, particularly for travelers who come specifically to spend several days offshore. Marinas and boats are central to the North Bimini experience, while snorkeling and diving add another layer for visitors interested in getting beyond the beach.
The island also suits a slower trip. You can spend an afternoon around the beach, head out for seafood, explore North Bimini by golf cart, or organize a day on the water. A villa gives you a practical base if you are staying several nights and want more room than a traditional hotel room.
Westgate’s decision to debut its Caribbean portfolio here follows a Bimini real estate investment the company announced last year, connecting the new resort with a broader commitment to the island.
A Different Kind of Westgate Vacation
Westgate is best known for large vacation resorts in destinations including Orlando, Las Vegas, Gatlinburg, Park City, and Myrtle Beach. Its portfolio has traditionally centered on U.S. leisure markets where multi-bedroom villa accommodations and vacation ownership play major roles.
Bimini introduces a very different trip.
There are no theme parks or major urban entertainment districts surrounding the property. Your plans are more likely to involve a fishing charter, a beach afternoon, a snorkeling excursion, a marina stop, or a golf-cart ride into another part of North Bimini.
The villa model could fit particularly well here. Groups coming for fishing trips often want extra room. Families may prefer separate sleeping areas. Couples planning several days on the island may appreciate having a furnished villa rather than returning each night to a standard hotel room.
Westgate has also been expanding geographically. In 2025, the company added VI Resorts by Westgate, increasing its presence in the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico. Bimini now puts a Caribbean destination into the portfolio for the first time.
How Close Is Bimini to Florida?
Very close.
Bimini is about 50 miles from Florida’s east coast, one reason the island has remained popular with South Florida boaters and travelers looking for a Bahamas trip that requires relatively little travel time.
Commercial air service gives you one way to arrive. Ferry travel from Florida provides another. Private boats regularly cross to Bimini as well, particularly among visitors drawn by fishing and the island’s marinas.
North Bimini contains much of the visitor activity, including accommodations, restaurants, beaches, and marinas. The Westgate property places you in the part of the destination where a large share of a typical Bimini trip takes place.
The short distance from Florida also gives the property potential as a long-weekend destination. A traveler deciding between a domestic beach trip and a few days in The Bahamas now has another villa-based option within Westgate’s network.
There is also a new reason to look at Bimini as a fly-in getaway. American Airlines now flies between Miami and Bimini, giving travelers a direct air option from its major South Florida hub.
What Do You Do on a Bimini Vacation?
Fishing is the classic answer.
Bimini has been associated with serious sport fishing for generations, and boating remains embedded in daily life across the island. If your vacation revolves around time offshore, the island gives you plenty of ways to plan it.
Snorkeling and diving are also major parts of the experience. Reefs, wreck sites, and clear Bahamian water draw visitors out by boat, while beaches give you a much simpler option when you want to stay close to your villa.
Back on land, you can explore the island by golf cart, stop at local restaurants for conch and fresh fish, visit waterfront spots near the marinas, and spend time around the communities of North Bimini.
The island is compact enough for a trip to remain simple. A few days can include fishing, swimming, local food, and a boat excursion, while a longer stay gives you more time to settle into the villa and make plans day by day.
The Bahamas Keeps Breaking Tourism Records
Westgate’s Caribbean debut arrives during a major period for Bahamian tourism.
The country recorded 12.5 million visitors in 2025, up from 11.2 million in 2024, according to figures cited by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.
Bimini occupies an unusual place within the wider Bahamian tourism map because of its proximity to Florida. Nassau and Paradise Island remain major international gateways, while Bimini can function as a quick standalone trip from South Florida.
Westgate now has a product designed around precisely that kind of vacation: furnished villas, beach proximity, room for groups, and stays beginning this fall.
When Does Westgate Bimini Bay Open?
The key date is Oct. 1.
Westgate is currently accepting rental reservations for arrivals beginning on that date, while Westgate Owners can already make exchange reservations into the property.
The resort’s arrival also gives Bimini another major U.S. hospitality name during a year of continued interest in The Bahamas. Westgate brings a large existing base of vacation owners and repeat customers, many of whom will now have Bimini as an international option inside the company’s portfolio.
And Bimini gives those travelers a very specific kind of Caribbean trip.
You get villas rather than a conventional room, the beach a short walk away, boats filling the nearby marinas, and one of The Bahamas’ signature fishing destinations outside your door. Beginning Oct. 1, Westgate owners and other travelers will have a new reason to make the 50-mile trip from Florida to North Bimini.
The post Westgate Is Opening Its First Caribbean Resort in Bimini, With an October Debut appeared first on Caribbean Journal.
