When legendary British designer David Hicks decided to build a house on the private island of Windermere in the late 1960’s, his inspiration was the cubist style of King Zoser’s temple at Saqqarah in the Nile Valley. The result is an ultra chic retreat that’s unique in the Bahamas. Savannah was built with storm-safe concrete-block walls that are coated with plaster mixed with honey-colored lime stone dust and textured with seashells. Very tall pylons, serving as the house’s impressive front entrance, lead into a screened porch and dining area. To the right is the primary bedroom and to the left a children’s bedroom with a pair of bunk beds. Beyond, the large high-ceilinged living room has a palette of cool colors, bold sculptural paintings on the walls and luxuriously simple furnishings. Off it are another guest room and the kitchen. The fourth bedroom is in a pavilion is in the garden. All bedrooms have air-conditioning and bathrooms en suite.

Savannah sits on a rise and has views of the ocean on one side and the turquoise waters of Savannah Sound on the other. It’s in a perfect location really - right between a very long and usually deserted pink sand beach that Jacques Cousteau said was one of the most beautiful in the world and a sheltered lagoon with great swimming for children. Less than a 5 minute walk from the house is a private path to the beach, well-known bonefishing flats and the home owner’s club which guests may use. It has a large heated pool and 2 tennis courts that are open year round and a restaurant which is open mid-November to mid-May. Other facilities include a game room, TV room, Wifi and a lending library. During peak periods, lunch and dinner are served in the dining room, and other activities, such as pool-side buffets and West Beach barbeques, frequently with live entertainment, are held. Just off the beach is a reef with masses of colorful fish. Windermere Island, which is about 5½ mile long and located just off the southern end of Eleuthera, is gated and accessed via a bridge with a guardhouse.