From the moment we arrived to Bahamas (and were driven to the resort by limo–my boys thought this was so cool!) until the day we checked-out, we had a blast. I don't think it's possible to visit Atlantis and have a bad time; it's a resort that truly offers something for everyone, whether you love to swim, golf, explore, shop, or relax.
Bonus: the weather was perfection the entire week we were there. We made the most of our vacation, enjoyed all the pools, dined at fabulous restaurants (Nobu and FISH were our favourite) went down the water slides and relaxed on the lazy river. Early mornings were spent at the Marina Village, where we enjoyed our Starbucks overlooking the water and incredible yachts docked on the waterfront. After dinner always included walks through the Marina Village again, with a stop at Ben and Jerry's.
If you're looking for a resort that's perfect for kids of all ages, with tons of things to do–countless dining options, swimming pools, entertainment, kids activities, a vibrant marine life, water slides and shopping–Atlantis Paradise Island is the perfect destination. If you're looking for an adults-only, luxury getaway–again, I recommend Atlantis because The Cove, the most luxurious hotel on the property, is in a class of its own, with an adults-only pool, outdoor gaming pavilion, and beachside dining.
Here's my breakdown of Atlantis Paradise Island:
The Beach
Unless I'm travelling to a big city like New York or Paris, vacation for me is all about the beach life. At Atlantis, everywhere you look, you're surrounded by the ocean, and the dazzling, turquoise water. We were blessed with amazing weather, and spent most of our time swimming in the ocean and the pools. The water was just perfect–incredibly clear, warm and inviting, and totally relaxing. The kids put on their snorkel masks and saw so many fish, too–making their experience a little more magical.
Dolphin Cay
Atlantis Bahamas is home to a world-class marine habitat dedicated to conservation, rehabilitation, and education. Dolphin Cay opened in 2007 to provide a safe haven for 17 stranded dolphins whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Dolphin Cay is one of the word's largest open-air, man-made marine mammal habitats. The 14-acre environment includes an 11-acre lagoon complete with coves and sandy beaches, 7 connected 'residential' pools, a state-of-the-art education centre and an animal rescue hospital. Every visit to Dolphin Cay supports the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, creating and promoting solutions for a wide range of marine conservation challenges. We had the chance to go behind the scenes and visit the baby sea turtles in the animal hospital, too–they were so adorable.
Where To Stay
Before deciding on where to stay at Atlantis, you should familiarize yourself with the resort map, (something you can do online before booking your stay) so you get an idea of where you think you'll be spending most of your time. The truth is, no matter where you stay, you'll explore and enjoy the entire resort during your vacation, anyway. Get ready to do a lot of walking, though–it's huge!
The iconic Royal Towers are the centre of it all, and the most popular place to stay at Atlantis. The Royal is the busiest of all towers, and home to many great stores, like Gucci, Rolex, Tory Burch, and MAC. The Royal is also home to the marine habitat, the huge aquarium (called The Dig), the casino, and restaurants, like Nobu.
The Beach is the oldest tower, and the most economical place to stay, and although it's the furtherest away from all the action, it still has stunning ocean views from the balcony of the rooms.
The Coral, closest to the Marina Harbour, is where we stayed. I chose this tower because of the brand-new renovated rooms–they were bright, clean, airy and spacious, with amazing views of the resort and ocean.
We loved the balcony views and how close we were to the Marina Village–we walked there every morning to enjoy breakfast. (Seriously, is there anything better than an iced coffee under the hot sun in February? Sigh.) The Coral pool–also newly renovated–was one of our favourite pools at Atlantis. We got to enjoy a day in the poolside cabana, too. Bonus: This pool include a swim-up bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as popsicles.
The Reef, closest to The Cove, is the more elegant tower, with relaxing pool areas and stunning beach views. We loved spending time here, swimming and enjoying the ocean. It was a nice break when we needed some relaxation after hours on the water slides at Aquaventure.
The Cove
The Cove is my favourite part of Atlantis. This luxurious hotel and open-air lobby is simply breathtaking. The Cove and Paradise Beach surround this hotel, making you feel like you're on your own private island. The beach is one of the nicest I've ever seen; it reminded me of Seven Mile Beach in Cayman Islands. From the open-air lobby, to the endless beach views and restaurants, like Mosaic (perfect for breakfast buffet!) The Cove is the place to stay if you're looking for an elegant vacation on the beach. The Cove has an exclusive adults-only pool, too, that's equally breathtaking–and a lot of fun.
The Cove has 20 private beachfront cabanas, created by designer Lulu DK. We had the incredible pleasure of enjoying a beachfront cabana at The Cove for two days, and it was absolute paradise. Our cabana had an outdoor dining area with loungers, an indoor living room with couches, a TV, a bathroom, and a private outdoor shower. The back doors opened to our own private beach, with the most stunning views. We had personalized service all day long, too, where we were able to drink and eat (from the Sip Sip menu) without having to leave the comfort of our cabana. I seriously never wanted to leave, and the kids had the time of their lives. When they needed a break from the sun and ocean, they relaxed inside the cabana, or ventured to the pool area by The Reef. The Cove beach cabanas was the highlight of our vacation to Atlantis.
Aquaventure
Aquaventure is what Atlantis is famous for. This one-of-a-kind water park features over twenty million gallons of water, high-speed water slides, a mile-long river ride with rolling rapids and wave surges, 20 swimming areas, and various kids pools.
Atlantis also has 11 stunning swimming pools. We spent our days going from the beach to the pools, walking around the entire resort, and enjoying all the water slides. My youngest son's goal was to swim in all the pools and do as many water slides as he could, and we had so much fun checking pools off our list. The water park is pure enjoyment, and perfect for those who love excitement and thrills. It took a lot of courage to go down The Surge, but we did it, (again and again!) and loved it.
Dining
One reason I don't love staying at all-inclusive resorts is because I like leaving the hotel to explore different restaurants in the city I'm visiting. Atlantis Paradise Island isn't an all-inclusive resort, but it has over 21 restaurants and bars for guests to choose from scattered throughout the resort and Marina Village. I had no complaints about staying at Atlantis for dinner every night because there were so many great options to choose from: from Italian to Asian to classic Bahamian dishes, the choices were endless. There are plenty of casual-dining options, like Marina Pizzeria, as well as fine dining, like Seafire Steakhouse. Atlantis also features a number of celebrity chef restaurants: Sip Sip, (one poolside, and one in the sand) FISH, and Nobu.
Our most memorable dining experience took place at world-renowned Nobu, where we dined on delicious Japanese cuisine. I've always wanted to try this popular restaurant and I was so glad we were invited to dine here. We enjoyed many different dishes that were brought to us by the head chef. He explained each dish with great care, and we awaited each plate with anticipation. The food was absolutely delicious and we especially loved the Bahamian lobster, the sea bass, and the sushi. The best part of this dinner was the incredible Wagyu beef. This dish was the definite highlight, and made my 13 year old very, very happy. The sharing dessert plate we had (after we finished countless plates of perfect Japanese food) was the cherry on top of this incredible culinary experience.
FISH was our second favourite restaurant, (and one of the newest at Atlantis) located in The Cove. Master Chef Jose Andres was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People and Outstanding Chefs by the James Beard Foundation. He's an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, author, and educator, and it was a great honour to dine in his beautiful restaurant. We enjoyed delicious Bahamian seafood, steak, and salads, and the service was excellent.
We also enjoyed classic Bahamian food at Frankie Gone Bananas, Italian at Carmine's, the Marina Pizzeria, and Chop Stix, for Chinese food. From outdoor dining to the more formal restaurants, we loved the choices we had at Atlanits Paradise Island. You totally work up an appetite, too, with all the walking and swimming you do throughout the day!
We had the most wonderful vacation at Atlantis, and we are already planning our next vacation to Paradise Island. Thank you for taking such great care of us, Atlantis. You made our vacation memories perfect!
If you have any questions about Atlantis, please feel free to email me. I'd be happy to answer any travel related questions you have about booking your stay at this beautiful, tropical resort.
Disclaimer: I partnered with Atlantis Paradise Island on this media trip, and I received special perks for my review. All views and opinions are my own.
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