Reserve
Reserve
When Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles stumbled upon The Potlatch Club on a beach walk in 2016, not only did they discover a hidden beachfront gem, they uncovered a legendary past. Having fallen into disrepair in the Eighties, the jungle had reclaimed the resort, but Bruce and Hans saw its beauty and soon bought the 12 acre property, bordering a powder-soft pink sand beach and its crystal clear ocean. The story of The Potlatch Club then emerged, founded in 1967 by three East Coast socialites who brought royalty, celebrities, movie stars and musicians to these shores on Eleuthera, Bahamas.
The Potlatch Club's restoration has taken seven years to complete, starting with cutting back the jungle which had enveloped all 12 acres, identifying which of the buildings could be saved and restored, and which were beyond hope. Bruce and Hans then created their masterplan and designed new buildings to fit in with the landscape, removing as few mature trees as possible. The result is a beautifully exotic resort which looks as if it's been here for decades, which is, of course, close to the truth.
The first building on The Potlatch Club estate was a two bedroom house constructed in 1923, when the estate was a pineapple plantation. Other buildings were then added between 1947 and 1965, several of which have been restored to more than their former glory, including the Clubhouse, The Pineapple House, now our 4-bedroom villa, and Pink Sands Cottage, our beautiful honeymoon villa, facing the ocean.
With these buildings, Sri-Lankan born architect, Ray James Holman Nathanials brought modernism to the Caribbean in the 1960s, inspiring the new structures that have been more recently added under the careful direction of Hans Febles. A hand-painted mural by Nathanials still exists in what is now the staff quarters and can be viewed on request.
During the 1960's and '70's The Potlatch Club became an exclusive private hideaway for British royalty and celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Raymond Burr and Greta Garbo, who came here to relax, but also to celebrate.
The word ‘Potlatch’ is derived from Chinook jargon, meaning “to give away” or “gift”, becoming the term for northwest native American ceremonial feasts, where guests give away or destroy valuable items in order to reaffirm health, wealth, family and community bonds. Potlatches were held to celebrate births, deaths, weddings and other significant events and often involved music, dancing, singing and storytelling.
Perhaps you have a good reason to revive the tradition and plan your own potlatch feast, here, at The Potlatch Club?
When Paul and Linda McCartney honeymooned on Eleuthera in March 1969, they chose the peace and privacy of The Potlatch Club.
Inspired to write, Sir Paul composed the lyrics of at least two Beatles songs on The Potlatch Club’s notepaper while he was here, including ‘Bathroom Window’ and ‘Oh Darling (I’ll never do you no harm)’.
With so much space and so few guests, staying at The Potlatch Club has always felt like an exclusive private party and that sense of relaxing amongst friends continues to this day, but always with the option of retreating into your very own private space
