“It’s about being hyper specific about things,” the resort’s executive director of arts and culture John Cox says of the decor. “You don’t want to knock people over the head—it’s not an academic space—but if you present things in a compelling way, it’s going to spark conversation.”
The club’s opening night drew a celebrity crowd, including comedian Jon Stewart and football legend Emmitt Smith, as well as special guest Joanna “Jojo” Levesque, who sang with Batiste for the first time. Batiste, who released his eighth studio album Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), in November, set the tone as he worked the room from a secondary stage to the side.
The partnership with Batiste is the latest in a host of celebrity tie-ups for the resort—earlier ventures include the John McEnroe Tennis Center, which opened last month, the T-Squared Cigar Bar started in partnership with Justin Timberlake and Tiger Woods, as well as restaurants with chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Daniel Boulud, Danny Elmaleh, and butcher Dario Cecchini. It also joins other cultural updates, including two art galleries ECCHO and The Current that are a catalyst for the Fuze Art Fair, tied to its Culinary & Arts Festival.
With the three pillars of culinary, arts, and culture now at the forefront, Baha Mar’s most ambitious project is yet to come: a fourth hotel that will integrate these values from the ground-up. Set for a 2026 ground-breaking and 2029 opening, the 30-floor property with 350 rooms and an additional 60 residences, including 2-story, 6-bedroom penthouses, is being developed by the storied architecture firm of Foster + Partners, known for projects like London’s Wembley Stadium and Berlin’s Reichstag.
Until then, Baha Mar president Graeme Davis says they will continue to up the ante on existing properties, including an updated art program featuring local artists across hotels and general room upgrades at the Grand Hyatt. One of the most fun additions, however, will be a new music recording studio that will also entice podcasters from the States. “The experiential side of podcasting can be so enriching,” Davis tells Traveler. “For people to listen to it is one thing, but we’ll actually have a live taping with a podcaster in front of an audience of 75 on a beautiful terrace while they’re here on an amazing vacation.”
