Harbour Island has become a pocket of paradise within a paradise with Briland Club, a marina, club, and collection of residences.

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While traveling by boat through the Bahamas with his wife, real estate developer Michael Wiener conceived the Briland Club idea; the Californians are longtime fans of the palm-dotted, turquoise-soaked islands.

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Harbour Island, voted one of the best islands in the Bahamas by Rich Report readers, is becoming something more than just a beautiful marina. It is becoming a stunning marina, club, and collection of residences.

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As Wiener explains, the goal was to create a space on Harbour Island that set the standard for service, amenities, and infrastructure. In this evolution, we are developing a very high-end, elegant, understated, beautiful marina that offers all of the features that can be found in a marina in a subtle way; the same is true for the upland that is now being developed. 

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In addition to offering a peaceful elegance duplicated nowhere else on the island, Briland Club, located on 27 acres of Harbour Island, is less developed than the northern part of the island. On-site amenities, activities (including stand-up paddleboards, 18-foot Boston Whalers, and four pickleball courts), and dining facilities are also available.

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“We believe that it is a superior location because it’s more quiet, and that is the experience that we want to offer,” Wiener adds. Guests seeking a relaxing, refined getaway won't be in the middle of the action on Harbour Island.

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The property is also the only one on the island that touches both the ocean and the harbor. Additionally, Briland Club will offer beach chairs and bar service on the beachfront portion of their property this year in addition to the harbor-side marina, which has top-notch amenities for boaters and megayachts and is operating now. A beach club will not be constructed until a few years from now, but it is in the works. The marina's high-end gift shop is also stocked with merchandise from Melanie and her mom's recent trip to Europe.

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Interested parties can buy residences, which include electric golf carts, but the community requires owners to rent out their properties when they aren't using them, so the general public can reserve short-term accommodations. Briland Club is permitted for 93 residences over the next three to five years, but eight units will be available by early 2023. As the property is built out, a spa and pool will be attached to the historic Haunted House, which will serve as the clubhouse once it has been restored. The property will also feature a commissary that can serve over 400 meals a day, perfect for weddings and events. 

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As the only marina on the island with 480-volt power at every pedestal, Briland Club's Bar 480 is named for the fact that big boats can run more appliances at once.

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“It is, by most people’s expressions, the best food on the island, but it is not fine dining,” Wiener says of Bar 480. “You will not get a tablecloth, but you will get the best service and the best food in an outdoor grill setting [that’s] quite spectacular.” Plus, inspired by the Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel — which is a block away from Wiener’s home — the bar “will stay open until the last customer leaves.”

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Briland Club is poised to be one of the Bahamas' plushest offerings, according to Rich Report. “We approached the development and the selection of materials and quality from the point of view of it being our personal residence,” Wiener says. “I keep my boats at the marina; I will eventually have a residence at the property. We didn’t want to try to cut corners to make more money.”

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There are both commercial and private flights servicing North Eleuthera Airport (ELH) on Harbour Island. A flight from Miami takes about 30 minutes, while New Yorkers can get there in under two hours; a flight from Los Angeles takes about four and a half hours. Reservations are now being taken at the Briland Club.