Paradise Island Follow the A-listers to this secluded but luxurious resort From the April 22, 2002 Issue of New York You may get an odd sense of déjà vu when you arrive at the Ocean Club, a plantation-style resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Why do the spectacular shoreline and the majestic tiered gardens by the pool seem so familiar? Maybe because Thunderball was shot on Paradise Island, back when Sean Connery had hair and James Bond films were James Bond films. These days, the Ocean Club has become a celebrity magnet, and the reason Sharon Stone, Cindy Crawford, and Whitney Houston like it is that the 35-acre resort is easy to reach but still feels totally secluded. Whether you visit the magnificent pool with its medieval-style cloisters, hit the gym, or walk along the white-sand beach, there is always a sense of privacy. The hotel's recent $100 million face-lift includes not only refurbished accommodations, but a new golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, a new Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant called Dune, and a Balinese-style spa, which opened four months ago. -- BETH LANDMAN KEIL Details Ocean Club, (doubles start at $450; 800-321-3000 or oceanclub.com); Delta (800-241-4141) and USAirways (800-622-1015) fly nonstop to Nassau from La Guardia; Continental (800-231-0856) flies from Newark. Paradise Island is 40 minutes from the airport by taxi.       Photograph: Ocean Club