Our History

Peace & Plenty Resort –
A Rich Bahamian Legacy Since 1492

The Peace & Plenty Resort boasts one of the most extraordinary histories of any boutique hotel in the Bahamas — a story stretching from the age of Christopher Columbus to Hollywood royalty. From its roots as a Loyalist cotton plantation to its place as the beloved heart of Great Exuma Island, scroll through the remarkable historical milestones that make this iconic Georgetown Bahamas resort unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean.

October 12th, 1492

October 12th, 1492

Columbus Discovers Elizabeth Harbour

Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas and soon after reportedly sailed to Great Exuma, arriving at the spectacular Elizabeth Harbour — the same breathtaking bay our resort overlooks today. So moved by its grandeur, Columbus observed that the harbour was “large enough to anchor all the ships in Christendom.” Few Exuma island resorts can claim a backdrop with this depth of history.

October 1783

The Ship That Named Our Resort

Lord Denys Rolle, a British Loyalist fleeing Florida following its cession to Spain, set sail from Savannah, Georgia aboard an English trading ship called the Peace and Plenty. Upon arriving at Great Exuma, he established a cotton plantation covering much of the island — with its main buildings on the very site our resort stands today. Much of Exuma’s population still proudly bears the Rolle name.

October 1783
1783 to 1958

1783 – 1958

From Plantation to Island Institution

Over the next 175 years, the property evolved from a cotton plantation to a sponge warehouse, and later the cherished home of the prominent Minns family — whose descendants still live on the island and own the marina and grocery store directly across the street.

January 14, 1958

Club Peace & Plenty Opens

Lawrence Lewis, heir to the Henry Flagler railroad and Standard Oil fortune, officially opened Club Peace and Plenty — a elegant 32-room colonial-style hotel. The original plantation cookhouse became the club bar; the former sponge warehouse and Minns family home was transformed into the main lobby. A legendary Great Exuma hotel was born.

January 14th, 1958
April 25th, 1959

April 25, 1959

Royal Visit to Great Exuma

His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited Peace & Plenty during the celebrated Out-Island Regatta — one of the first of many world-renowned guests to discover this hidden Bahamas island escape.

April 1967

Immortalized by Slim Aarons

The iconic Peace & Plenty pool was photographed by legendary WWII Army photographer Slim Aarons — celebrated for capturing “attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” On assignment for Holiday, LIFE, Vogue, and Town & Country, Aarons documented the world’s rich and famous from 1947 to 1993. His Peace & Plenty photograph remains one of the most enduring images of Great Exuma Bahamas luxury living.

April 1967
September 12th, 1969

September 12, 1969

A New Chapter Begins

Stanley Benjamin and Charlie Pflueger purchased the hotel from Lawrence Lewis and reopened Club Peace & Plenty — kicking off what Charlie described in his autobiography Island Fever as his “40-year love affair” as General Manager.

1959 to Present

Celebrity Haven of the Caribbean

Since the 1970s, a true “Who’s Who” of global celebrities have made Peace & Plenty their favorite Great Exuma vacation retreat — many becoming close personal friends of Charlie Pflueger. Notable guests include:

  • Baseball legends: Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle
  • Golf greats: Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Ray Floyd, Tom Weiskopf
  • Hollywood icons: Johnny Depp, Robert Mitchum, Gene Hackman, Sam Elliott, Hume Cronyn & Jessica Tandy
  • NFL legends: Joe Namath, Coach Don Shula, Nick & Joey Bosa
  • Cultural icons: Jimmy Buffett, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Ted Kennedy, Al Roker

No other Exuma island resort carries this caliber of celebrated guest history.

1959 to Present
Modern Yacht-building Pioneers

Frank & Gertrude Denison

Modern Yacht-Building Pioneers

While honeymooning in 1948, Frank & Gertrude Denison purchased a Ft. Lauderdale shipyard — renaming it Broward Marine — and went on to pioneer the entire modern custom yacht-building industry, making Fort Lauderdale the yacht-building capital of the world. For over 50 years beginning in the early 1960s, Peace & Plenty was one of their most cherished destinations.

1970s

Music, Culture & the Peace & Plenty Spir

The legendary Jetstreamers band performed poolside at Peace & Plenty through the 1970s — cementing the resort’s reputation as the cultural heartbeat of Georgetown, Great Exuma and a destination where world-class hospitality met authentic Bahamian island life.

The Jetstreamers
August 6th, 2006

August 6, 2006

Johnny Depp Accepts a People’s Choice Award From Our Bar

While on-site filming Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Johnny Depp accepted the 2006 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star — live via satellite from the Peace & Plenty Club Bar. A moment that cemented our place in both Bahamian tourism history and Hollywood lore.

October 30th, 2014

October 30th, 2014

Official Bahamian Government Recognition

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism unveiled four commemorative stamps for its 50th Anniversary, honoring the country’s most iconic hotels: Atlantis, Baha Mar Resort, The Princess Resort — and The Peace & Plenty. Remarkably, our intimate 34-room boutique Great Exuma hotel stood alongside three massive mega-resorts — the ultimate testament to Peace & Plenty’s outsized legacy and cultural significance in the Bahamas.

September 21, 2017

A New Generation of Stewardship

Brothers Steve and Patrick Harrington, along with native Exumian Burton Rodgers, purchased The Peace & Plenty from the Benjamin family — who had stewarded it for nearly 50 years. Long-time visitors since the mid-1990s, the Harringtons felt a deep responsibility to honor this storied property’s rich history while thoughtfully modernizing it for new generations of Exuma island vacation travelers to fully enjoy.

September 21st, 2017
October 2018

October 2018

Stocking Island Beach Club & Island Villas

The Harrington group acquired the stunning property on Stocking Island, just one mile across Elizabeth Harbour — now home to the celebrated Peace & Plenty Beach Club and private Island Villas. Guests enjoy a short boat adventure to what feels like “another world” — an exclusive Stocking Island beach experience in the heart of the Exumas.

December 2019

Kahari Resort Partnership

Partnering with an adjacent property owner, the group expanded with Kahari Resort — a newly built luxury private island retreat immediately beside the Beach Club, offering an elevated experience including the exceptional Beacon Restaurant (kahariresort.com).

December 2019
2019

2019

A Social Club Built on Exuma’s Spirit

The essence of The Peace & Plenty has always been enjoying the peace, natural wonder, and warm community of Great Exuma with good friends — old and new. With this ethos, the Harringtons proudly built a social club of like-minded partners dedicated to sharing this extraordinary Bahamas island destination with the rest of the world.

1970 – 2019

Doc: The Soul of Peace & Plenty

No history of Peace & Plenty would be complete without honoring Lermon “Doc” Rolle — head bartender for over 40 years and, as Charlie Pflueger described, “a more gregarious and welcoming individual would be hard to find.” Known as the “Doctor of Libations,” Doc was the beloved face of the resort for four decades — possessing a rare gift for making every single guest feel genuinely special. Guests returning after 20 or 30 years still ask about him. In January 2021, the resort’s beloved outdoor bar was renamed Doc’s Bar in his honor — a permanent tribute to the warm soul who brought joy to generations of Great Exuma visitors.

2019