Restaurant & Bar Awards 2021

Page 10 www.lux-review.com LUX 2021 Restaurant & Bar Awards Located at the centre of Harbour Island in the Bahamas, Runaway Hill Inn is an Old English Manor-style hotel which occupies 10 acres and sits proudly overlooking the crystal blue ocean and the pink sands below it. While it might only be a small venue, the boutique establishment has a lot to offer and strives to provide guests with the classic Bahamian laid-back experience, coupled with excellent service, a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and delicious, five-star food and drink. On arrival, guests are greeted with the stunning views of tropical palm trees, the beautiful clear ocean that stretches for miles on end, and the fine, pink-hued sands that the islands are globally renowned for. “Runaway Hill is unique in that it is a very laid- back environment, yet the service is attentive and the food is phenomenal,” explains co-owner, Kim Messier. “Harbour Island is a friendly island with gorgeous pink sand beaches… uncrowded even at the busiest times of the year!” Whether guests plump for the four- bedroom and two-bathroom Infinity House accommodation, that hangs above the ocean, or one of the quaint cottages nestled amongst the bougainvillea, the unique beauty and charm of the hotel is unrivalled. Local Bahamian chef, Krishna Higgs, started as a sous chef and quickly became recognised for her passion and hard work. Today, as Head Chef of the Runaway Hill Inn Restaurant, Krishna is always creating unique and delicious food that has earned her a reputation for true culinary talent. The menus are diverse and sumptuous, featuring local produce and ‘sea to table’ fresh fish, such as grouper, tuna and snapper. Plus, each and every meal comes with a sea view! Hidden on a cliff overlooking the sea, Runaway Hill Inn is the ideal place to get away from it all. Whether it’s for the holiday of a lifetime, a wedding or another special occasion, the pink sands and idyllic panoramic vistas provide the setting for an unrivalled experience. Feb21211 Runaway Hill Inn Restaurant Best Ocean View Restaurant - Bahamas Runaway Hill does not have a high staff turnover and has team members that have been with the company for many years. Kim explains how the hotel team approaches each and every day with renewed vigour, energy and a commitment to be the very best it can be. “We communicate our expectations and goals as a team,” she says. “We try to cultivate a supportive environment that helps our staff develop. In order for our staff to succeed, we feel that support is the best approach.” The Bahamas relies heavily on tourism for its economy and the recent Covid-19 pandemic has affected the economy in drastic ways, as the global shutdown did not allow travel to and from countries. Runaway Hill attempted to combat this downturn in finances and set up a GoFundMe account, which regular guests contributed to in a significant way to help out the staff members. The island also set up a Food Bank to help the locals during the difficult time. “The only benefit of the Covid-19 virus is that people are even more appreciative of the ability and freedom to travel to and enjoy such a beautiful place as Harbour Island.” In addition, Runaway Hill has been growing its wedding business steadily as more people favour smaller and more intimate destination weddings and Harbour Island, with its iconic pink sand and vivid blue sea, is an ideal backdrop for the big day. “We have been receiving more requests for larger party events and our team is receiving more requests to rent the entire inn out for friends and family reunions or holidays that allow people to come together,” Kim elaborates, speaking of the plans for the future. “The inn is small enough that it is feasible to get a group together to do this and to be able to provide a private service.” As such, the future looks bright for Runaway Hill as the world reopens and the team prepares to once again make valuable contributions to memories that will last a lifetime. Contact: Kim Messier Company: Runaway Hill Inn Restaurant Web Address: runawayhill.com