Cabin Renovations are Going Great!

We have most of our cabin renovations completed and they are looking spectacular! The rooms are so bright and beautiful. The new hand-crafted furniture, made from Casuarina pine trees are gorgeous. Out new lighting is perfect! And the locally made decorations look wonderful. Check out all these beautiful cabins . . .

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Forgot Something? We Got You Covered with Our On-Site Boutique!

The on-site boutique at Small Hope is great if you forgot anything, like toiletries, sunglasses, your hat. Or if you want to pick up some island souvenirs for friends and family back home!

It's stocked with shampoo, toothbrushes, lotion, bug spray, etc. And also goodies like hand-made Bahamas batik items from the local Androsia factory, Small Hope shirts, hoodies, koozies, an more!

And it's just steps away from our office . . .

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Our Renovated On-Site Boutique . . .

If you forgot something, we probably have it! Our recently updated boutique is stocked with essentials as well as some great souvenirs from you Bahamas vacation. If you happened to forget any toiletries - shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, a toothbrush, etc - we've got you covered!

We've also got a great stock of locally-made Androsia batik goodies, such as shirts, pareos, hats, and more. There are some beautiful island-made crafts too, like wood carvings, and woven baskets from a nearby settlement.

And it's all just steps away from your beachfront cabin! As we're an all-inclusive resort, you just let our office know what items you grabbed and it will all be on you bill at check out, so no need for your wallet!

Contact our office to Book Your Next 

All Inclusive Bahamas Vacation!

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Our Beautiful, Bright Cabins, and Custom Androsia decor!

Small Hope was opened in 1960, and we have been going strong for over 55 years now! Our cabins were built one at a time by Dick Birch and his family. They started with Cabin 1, and when they finished the construction of each the family would live in each cabin as they progressed. They are constructed from Andros pine and coral rock. Each one is a little different from the rest too!



But they all have some things in common: They all have tile floors, ceiling fans, A/C, a comfortable living space, a reading chair, a safe, and two outside chairs for watching the beautiful scenery. They also all have comfy beds with Androsia runners and Androsia wall hangings.

Androsia was started in 1973 and has been in the Birch family from the beginning. They make beautiful hand-made Batik fabrics. And they bring beautiful bright colors to all our beachfront cabins!

 


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Andros Island, the Sleeping Giant, by Rosi Birch

Rosi Birch spent many years here on Andros. She found it to be a wonderful oasis, full of beauty and life. Here is what she wrote about Andros Island in the 1960's, in her own words . . .

The Sleeping Giant

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The Story of Dick's Tree, by Rosi Birch

Small Hope has such a beautiful and long history. There have been so many stories of love, loss, friendship, humor, and adventure here. Some of these stories stretch back over generations and several decades.

One such story is how Dick's Tree became known as Dick's Tree. Click here for the story, written by Rosi Birch, Dick's wife at that time.

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Beautiful History of Small Hope . . .

In 1960, on Christmas day, Small Hope Bay Lodge opened the doors to our first guests. We started (and are still continuing 55 years later) as a small, personal lodge, with an emphasis on enjoying the natural surroundings we are blessed with, and developing lasting friendships while here.

The Birch family, that started Small Hope, has grown and evolved many times since that day, and continues to grow. But the things that never change - the laughter, the adventure, the fun, and the commitment to giving our guests a taste of the Real Bahamas!

Check out some of our history in photos . . .

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Androsia, the fabric of the Bahamas . . .

 Back in 1973 (coincidentally the same year the Bahamas became an independent nation) Rosi Birch decided she wanted to give the women on Andros Island a vocation. She decided a batik fabric factory would be perfect. Using the colors of the islands - golden yellow, royal blue, shell pink, etc - and the design found in the nature around us, like sand dollars, conch shells, groupers, palm trees, Rosi and Dick started Androsia.

Well over 40 year later, Androsia is still making the fabric of the Bahamas. They have tons of new stencil designs and still use gorgeous, vibrant colors to create their cloth and clothing. Androsia is also still a big part of Small Hope Bay Lodge and the Birch family. It was passed from Rosi to her step-son Jeff Birch, and now Jeff's daughter, Casey, is there.

And they have a brand new website! 

Check it out here!!!!!!!

Androsia's new website has a handy-dandy online store for those who are (unfortunately) not on Andros. Or better yet, come visit us at Small Hope and take a tour of the Androsia factory or come shop in their boutique for all your fabric or clothing needs!

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A Blast from the Past!

Small Hope Bay Lodge first opened in 1960! That means we are now in our 54th year. 54 years of exploring our reef, of conch fritters, of hanging with our guests at the bar. Here are some of our "old school" photos from back in the day!

Early scuba lessons

Tiki boat, one of our many boats thru the years

Our old zig zag dock

Moose and Elizabeth, friends for years

Past divemasters, Alec and John

Another boat with Dick Birch at the helm

Dick Birch

Yep, we used to limbo!

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Annual Small Hope Bay Lodge Staff Party

Nassau Here We Come

Every September Small Hope Bay Lodge closes temporarily to undergo maintenance, repairs and inventory. The first order of business however is the annual staff party. 

Whether it is at Captain Bill's Blue Hole, Somerset Beach, or right at Small Hope the staff party is always a ton of fun. This year Jeff decided to fly everyone over to Nassau and hold the party at Traveller's Rest, a beach side restaurant run by his mother, Joan Hanna. 

Austin, Nicky, Fede, Dale and Tony on the Pursuit

On the morning of the party everyone woke up and headed to the airport, except for a select few who elected to go to Nassau in The Pursuit, Small Hope's 21 foot V-hull. 

Tony and Inez cutting the rug

Arriving in Nassau everyone dispersed for a couple hours to do a little shopping before meeting up at Traveller's for some food, some drinking and of course some dancing. With a live band playing throughout the day there was always someone on the dance floor. Alvin, Jardie and Tony especially enjoyed dancing the day away. 

Alvin gets the dancing started

The food was of course delicious and once everyone had digested a little it was time to hit the water. 

having fun out on the water

There was not a dry seat in the house as everyone had a blast riding on the tube! Fede and Jeff were excellent captains...they only dumped a few people off. 









All in all is was a great day in Nassau and a terrific staff party, one we will not soon forget. A big thank you goes out to Jeff for planning such a wonderful day and leaving everyone with some amazing memories. Annual renovations and inventory are now getting underway at Small Hope,  everyone is getting excited for October and looking forward to the new season!

 Highlights from the 2012 Small Hope Staff Party

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