Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island ... Is it worth the big bucks?
Written: Feb 13 '02 (Updated Feb 14 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Endless opportunities of activities to partake in!
Cons: During our visit, the water was too cold! And, it is expensive!
The Bottom Line: You will be amazed not only by the massive size of this resort, but by what this resort has to offer!
|
|
|
| sblaydes's Full Review: Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort |
I am going to apologize now for the length of this review. But, if you have seen the massive size of this resort, you will know why I had many details to share!
During this past Holiday season, we (as a family) were excited to be partaking in a new adventure! My parents were coming to our home for the Christmas Holiday, and then five days later we were all going to The Bahamas. My parents were able to trade their timeshare in Florida with one in the Bahamas during the Fall, so with hotel accommodations taken care or, we were all ready to go. Yes! Excitement was in the air!
Just a few short days prior to our departure, my husband came home from work with a surprise for us. What! What! What is our surprise? My husband had booked us a two-night/three day stay at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. (I should mention here that my we had just rented Mary Kate & Ashley’s newest video, Holiday In the Sun, and this film was shot on location at the Atlantis Resort.) Needless to say, my children and I were very excited!
What did we do first? Pack? Nope! We got on-line and went to www.atlantis.com. Wow! If you have never had the opportunity to check out this hotel, you should definitely check out their website. The four of us were crowded in the den checking out page by page of the all the attractions available for us at the Atlantis for quite some time. Now … it was time to pack!
~ We’re here! ~
As you cross over the bridge that leads from Nassau onto Paradise Island, you will be in awe of the size of the Atlantis Resort. It is absolutely enormous! While our first few days were spent with my parents at their timeshare, I will say right now that finding transportation to the Atlantis will be no problem at all. We had concerns when we first landed in Nassau in regards to finding transportation to Paradise Island, but that was quickly resolved when we walked outside the airport with our luggage only to find the multitude of cab drivers available.
The day that we were to check into the Atlantis started off as a beautiful morning. While check-in was not until 3:00 p.m., we decided to arrive earlier to take advantage of the attractions. Our reservations were for the Beach Tower, and we had requested a non-smoking room with a view of the ocean. While the Beach Tower has a beautiful lobby, they do not handle the check in process for their rooms. You will need to check in at the Coral Towers, and, since we had arrived early, they held our luggage in a back room at no charge. We were advised that our room was not ready yet, but they gave us our two room keys so that we could begin our adventure. (Keys are needed for certain attractions.) They suggested that we check back in an hour to get a status update.
There were a few items that we had decided to hold onto rather than leave in the luggage checkroom, so we decide to take a tour of the Atlantis. (And by the way, there is a tour that you can take when you check in. We opted to go on our own.) I would like to make a suggestion here. After you check in, go to the guest services counter and ask for a property map. Yes, the Atlantis resort is so large that it warrants it’s very own map.
While you are grabbing a map of your own, you will also want to pick up a copy of the day’s itinerary. Listed will be the feeding times of marine animals, movie times (yes, they have their own theater), kids activities and so much more.
Right off the bat you will be amazed by the marine habitats found throughout the resort. I spent a few hours just video taping the many areas of habitats in which Atlantis boasts as the largest marine habitat in the world, second only to Mother Nature. I believe it. Not only will you find some of the largest fish tanks all around you, you will be able to view these sea animals from several under water viewing tanks, via your walks around the resort, and even from a rope suspension bridge. Or, how about eating your breakfast sitting in a room with walls of glass showing off some of the most magnificent marine habitat I have ever seen? Whether it is the sea turtles outside of the Beach Towers lobby, or the hammer head shark right outside of the Royal Towers, you will find these marine habitats throughout the park. I was beginning to clearly realize why our hotel room was so expensive! (Did I fail to mention this before? Yes, the Atlantis Resort is expensive. Our room per night was $495 per night. Now you know why we spent only two nights. I should mention that one of the nights was New Years Eve. Prices have dropped substantially since then.
After touring the grounds for over an hour, we decided to check in on the status of our room. It was still not ready, so … we decided to go and have some lunch. This way, when our room was ready, we were ready for action! On our way to lunch we stopped by to take a quick look into the Hospitality Cavern found in the Beach Towers. This facility was for guests, like ourselves, who were either checking in early, or had already checked out, and wanted to take (or still take) advantage of the attractions. We found the cavern to have a Men's and Women’s locker room complete with showers, lockers, towels, hairdryers and more. To receive a key for your locker you need to check with guest’s services.
~ Finally, our room is ready! ~
After our lunch we were all quite happy to discover that our room was ready. Thank goodness, as both our son and daughter were itching in anticipation to get wet! During our tour of the grounds they had discovered all the great water attractions that they could partake in, and they were ready! While my husband stayed back to accompany the luggage up to our room, the kids and I headed upstairs. We were on the eighth floor of the Beach Towers, which happens to be the top floor of the non-smoking floors and we were anxious to see our view.
When we found our room we discovered that a hotel employee was steaming the carpet. Apparently there was a coffee stain on the floor that they were cleaning up. We also had to wait for someone to check the mini-fridge (service bar) from the prior guest. When my husband arrived with the bellman with the luggage, our room was finally ready.
The very first thing we saw was the view from our room. It was awesome! Not only did it overlook the Atlantic Ocean, but we also had an incredible view of the grounds of the Atlantis Resort. Directly below us was a marine habitat full of fish and stingrays. The one morning we were able to watch as divers entered the water to clean the tanks and feed the fish/rays. The full wall of window looking out also was a sliding glass door that opened onto a small balcony complete with a small round table and two chairs. During the fireworks display on New Years Eve held at the Royal Towers I was still able to have a good viewpoint from our balcony.
The room itself was really nothing very extravagant, but was in a tropical theme. And, it was clean. (Always an important feature to me!) Our room featured ~
~ two queen size beds
~ service bar fully stocked & checked on a daily basis (which was quite pricey!)
~ small round table with two chairs in the corner of the room
~ large cabinet which contained the service bar, television which included cable (and a remote) along with drawer space
~ hair dryer
~ iron and ironing board were in the closet
~ a safe is also in the closet with easy to read/work instructions
~ complimentary shampoo/conditioner/soap
We found the service to be very good. I had phoned guest services for a rollaway bed and within a short period of time, our bed arrived. And, a phone call was placed by guest services to assure that the bed had arrived. We had also had placed a phone call in for some dry towels. Our dry towels also arrived in a timely manner. Timely service is always a plus with us!
The Atlantis Resort offers more that just the standard guestrooms (like ours!). In fact, if you don’t mind spending $25,000 per night (and yes, this is not a typo) you could have the most expensive room in the hotel including your own chef and personal staff. We were told by a few members of the hotel staff that celebrities such as Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson have both stayed in this suite. Boy! Wouldn’t I have loved a glance into this suite!
If you are not quite ready to spend that much money, some of the other available room options are ~
~ Executive Suites
~ Grand Suites
~ Imperial Club Executive & Grand Suites
~ Harborside Resort Villas (featuring one & two bedrooms)
While my husband made our room booking with Triple A, you may want to consider using their on-line reservations. The Atlantis offers many type of package deals and you can also view their seasonal rates and decide for yourself what fits into your budget/time frame.
~ Are you hungry? ~
One of the very first things we discovered when we first began exploring in the Bahamas is that food can be quite expensive. Within a short walk from the Atlantis itself, we found a small local grocery store. If the appearance alone of this store didn’t shell shock us, the prices did. One (1) box of Nutri Grain bars went for nearly eight dollars. (Remember this when you are packing your suitcase!) As far as the appearance of this store, it looked as if it had began preparations for a hurricane preparation.
While we thought that perhaps we could save ourselves a little bit of money eating off of the Atlantis property, we found that it didn’t make much sense. This was due to several reasons. First of all, as I mentioned above, this place is homogenous! Walking around the grounds itself wore our children out. Secondly, we did discover that there are some restaurants/cafes throughout the Atlantis that would work with most any pocketbook.
Located in our room was a dining guide. On the very first page of this guide was the Atlantis Dining at a Glance. The name of the each restaurant was given, location, pricing guide, attire, and dining style for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This guide also included such information as outdoor dining, indoor dining, kid’s menu and bar/lounge/cocktails. The guide to pricing went as such ~
$ = $20 and under
$$ = $20 - $35
$$$ = $35 – $40
$$$$ = $40 - $50
$$$$$ = $55 - $75
You will find that you have many choices to choose from, and that each restaurant has it’s own unique décor. I have listed a few of the restaurants that we visited during our stay.
~ Cave Grill ~ Located in the Beach Tower, right next to the beach and the River Pool, this is the first place we ate. While there was some beach side seating, we opted to sit inside the cave next to one of the large windows showcasing the many underwater viewing areas throughout Atlantis. In addition to burgers, hot dogs, fries and a Coke the Cave Grill also featured salads, fajitas, chicken sandwich, onion rings, conch fritters and more! I would also be remise if I forgot to mention ice cream and non-alcoholic frozen drinks. My children loved these!
~ Shark Bites Express ~ Located right next to the Mayan Temple and Predator Lagoon, this was the perfect spot to have a quick something to eat before heading back to the pool. Featuring a very close menu as the Cave Grill, we found that the children’s menu was a perfect fit for our children. I will admit that the cheeseburger included was the same size as those featured al-a-carte. And, my daughter ate every last bite!
~ Plato’s ~ Why oh why didn’t we find this place sooner! On our last day, we discovered Plato’s. While we had walked by it numerous times, we did not take advantage of the continental breakfast or sandwich/chips on the go! Located in the Royal Towers, this bar features both outdoor seating and indoor. While it is a bar, and our children were not allowed to eat at this bar, there was an area located right next to it with big comfy couches and chairs. This is by far one of the cheapest places to pick up a quick breakfast and sandwich. And you know what? It was good. The sandwich was huge, piled with several choices of meat on a brochette roll, along with a bag of chips.
~ Water’s Edge ~ As you may invision by the name, yes, this restaurant is located on a lagoon featuring sharks and stingrays. This restaurant is located via the Coral Towers and offers a hearty buffet in the morning and a vast array of food for a dinner buffet. The Water’s Edge is where we ate dinner on New Year’s Eve, and let me tell you … the service was exceptional. Our waiter Earl gave our children his undying attention. He brought them party hats and blowers along with bright colored sleighs for their necks. And when our children decided to be creative with their hats, Earl brought over more materials for them … and … a stapler. I have several photos of Earl helping my son create a hat (more cleverly designed than his sisters!).
As far as the food, it was very good! That evening they had a huge sampling of fresh seafood, along with prime rib and steak. If that wasn’t enough for you, then they had a pasta bar and pizza bar. I’m not quite sure who had more fun with this, our children or the adults. Don’t forget to leave room for dessert. I am not kidding when I say that there must have been a choice of twenty delectable items. This was by far the most expensive meal we had during our stay. But, for an incredible buffet, entertainment (a live band) and most importantly, great service, we felt that it was a treat well deserved!
~ Now that you’re full, do you want to play? ~
First of all, if you do not like water, you have definitely come to the wrong place! When my husband first suggested that we spend a few nights at the Atlantis during a stay in the Bahamas, my children were estatic! They were ready for some pool time!
There are a total of thirteen (13) pools and water recreation facilitates available for you at the Atlantis. Yes, thirteen. Be prepared to wear your children, and yourself, out!
~ Lazy River Ride ~ Located between the Beach Tower and The Coral Towers, the Lazy River Ride is just that, a lazy ride on an inner tube on a makeshift river.
~ River Pool ~ Located at the Beach Tower, this zero entry pool is quite large, and is connected to the Lazy River Ride. If you have smaller children who are not swimmers, this type of pool is the best!
~ Poseidon’s Kid’s Pool & Play Area ~ Located at the Beach Tower, this pool/play area offers a water fountain, animals for your children to climb and play on, and a slide that enters into a shallow pool. This is a perfect pool for your toddler!
~ Lagoon Pool ~ Located at the Coral Towers, this large pool offers a great view of the Predator Lagoon. It offers a very tropical backdrop.
~ Ripples Kid’s Pool & Slides ~ Located at the Royal Towers, we never did get a chance to view this pool area. According to the web site, this pool features mini-water slides and water fountains. It looks like an area my daughter would have really enjoyed! (There is a lot of ground to cover here at Atlantis!)
~ Mayan Temple Pool & Water Slides ~ Located at the Royal Towers, I would have to say that this is where we spent the majority of our time. And, so did everyone else. While there is ample lounge chairs on deck, we had a very hard time finding a place to sit.
This pool is also a zero entry pool at the front. On the edges you have a stair entry, or … you could climb up the stairs near this pool and go down the mini water slides. And, if you want to relax in the hot tub, you can get there by either a small bridge, or by these small water slides. This was one of the warmest pools we found during our stay. (I will get to that later!) The location of this pool is perfect for those families who have older children who will be busy with the Mayan Temple waterslides. There is also a couple of permanent stone Ping-Pong tables with paddles and balls provided.
Now for the waterslides here at the Mayan Temple. There are a total of five, and they range from the beginner water slide fool (like myself) to the I feel the need for speed water slide fool. I myself went of only two of these slides.
~ Leap of Faith ~ This slides is a direct drop. Yes, a direct drop. From a viewing point at the Mayan Temple, you would see these fools (sorry!) flying down the slide (mostly screaming loudly!) and then entering through a tube towards the exit.
~ Serpent Slide ~ This slide the four of us were brave enough to encounter. I must admit, I did have a few moments of suspense while my daughter went down directly in front of me. Why? While this is a five story corkscrew slide, there are sections of this slide where you are in the complete dark. It is a very strange feeling traveling on a tube at high speeds going around corners in the dark. I had my fingers crossed that my daughter wasn’t freaking out!
Want to know the best part of this ride? When you are at the end of slide you are now in a clear acrylic tunnel. And you know whom you are with? Sharks! You now get to take a leisurely ride on your tube through this tunnel and take a look at all of the sharks around you. This was an awesome experience and I found it to be my most favorite ride. And you know what? My daughter loved it and wanted to go back down it again, again and again!!
~ Challenger Slides ~ My husband and son decided to take a shot at these water slides. There are two slides right next to one another, which allows you to race the person next to you, featuring a long, narrow drop from the top. When you get to the bottom, don’t forget to check your time because there are clocks provided. Yes, you can race one another! I should tell you that both my husband and son went on these slides once, and only once. Both my husband and son had long red marks on their backs when they got off of the slide, and they both agreed that they did not enjoy this ride.
~ Jungle Slide ~ Yes, this slide was also more of the speed this mother/daughter team would enjoy. While twisting and turning you go through some exotic jungles and caves. You are meant to lie down (back down) on this slide. When the ride is through, you take a smaller water slide into the Mayan Temple Pool.
* I should mention that a height requirement of 48 inches is enforced for all of the water slides. *
~ Royal Baths Pool ~ Located directly in the center of the Royal Towers, what a view you have from this pool! You know that you are at a first rate hotel when you are sitting in the center of this pool. FYI ~ We were told by many staff members that this pool was kept the warmest of all.
~ Goombay Water Slide & Baths ~ Located near the Coral Towers, very near to the entrance of the Lazy River, is a two part water slide. You go down one slide into a big “bath” area, and then continue down through a second slide, which lands you into another “bath” area. I did not go down this slide, but both of my children did. They enjoyed the ride itself, but … the water was freezing.
There was also a couple of “pools” located by this attraction. They looked like Jacuzzis to me, but … they were not warm like one. We were very disappointed.
~ Cove Beach ~ We did not personally spend any time on this beach, but it sounds like a lovely place to lay in a beach chair (provided) near a gentler Atlantic Ocean.
~ Paradise Beach ~ This is also another section of the beach that we did not take advantage of. I can tell you that there is a good supply of beach chairs provided, and also beach activities for you take advantage of. For instance, par sailing and rental of jet skis. It looked like fun!
~ Paradise Lagoon ~ This 7 acre lagoon area is a great spot to take your kids! Not only can they snorkel, but you can take advantage of some water sports here too! My husband and children took turns pedaling a large water bike out in this lagoon and had a blast!
~ Atlantic Beach ~ Yes, another section of great sandy beaches overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is here that my daughter decided to have her hair wrapped by a Bahamian woman. You will find that these women are all around on the Atlantis property eagerly awaiting to wrap your hair, whether you are a child or adult (and … female or male). While the Atlantis does not employ them, you can file any complaints with the Bahamian police. There are signs on the property stating this.
~ West Beach ~ With all the beaches available, you should hopefully find a spot you’ll enjoy. Although we did not spend any time of this beach either, it looked just a lovely as the others.
Now, I do want to mention here that the most disappointing part of our stay at the Atlantis was the water temperature of both the pools and water slides. They were freezing! When you are spending the amount of money to stay at the Atlantis, I would hope that their pools would be heated. Granted, I do live in a warmer climate and there were probably some Northerner’s who could handle the temperature well, we did not. In fact, on our first day at the Atlantis by the time we were able to check in, it had begun to lightly rain. We figured that since we were going into the water anyways, who cared if it was drizzling. Our first stop was the Lazy River. Yikes! The water was freezing. So, I decided that we should sit inside the Jacuzzi’s located at the Goombay Water Slide prior to entering this pool. Much to my disappointment, these small “baths” were not heated. We had hoped to take in the attractions near our hotel room on this first day, but when we found the water unbearable, we decided to try another pool.
We finally found ourselves at the Mayan Temple Pool. I’ll confess, the water did seem to be a bit warmer here than at the other pools located near the Beach Tower and Coral Towers. The rain had picked up slightly so they had closed all the water slide attractions at the Mayan Temple, with the exception of the smaller ones that enter into the Mayan Pool. We went down those and this is when we discovered the hot tubs. Ah … we were in heaven! When the rain picked up a bit more, and I should mention that there was no lightening, the lifeguards shut down the pool as well. Needless to say, we had a much earlier start towards our New Years Celebration than both my husband and I had anticipated.
On our second day, we asked a couple of lifeguards why the pools were so cold. The one life guard mentioned that after 9/11, tourists to the Atlantis had really slowed down, and they even had the Beach Tower and Coral Towers closed until a few weeks prior to the Christmas/New Years Holiday. I did not verify this, but … it does make me believe that these pools were not heated due to the cost. But, I could be wrong. All I can tell you is that my two children were incredibly disappointed with the water temperature.
* If you are going to swim, don’t forget to bring your room key! You will need your key to get towels and, a wristband. Each day a different colored wristband is issued to those who show their room key. Why a wrist band? This is how the Atlantis keeps those guests registered to the hotel recognized from those who are not. If you do not have on a wristband, you will not be allowed to go on the water slide attractions. We also witnessed many Atlantis personnel on various points on the grounds asking to see their room key if they had no wristbands on. I personally saw several Atlantis guests furious because they made their way through the line on the water slide only to find out that they could not go down. Yep! They did not have a wristband on. Now these guests were furious, but … both my husband and I enjoyed the fact that the Atlantis was strictly enforcing their rules. We paid a great deal of money to be on those waterslides! *
~ You want to see a stingray? ~
As I mentioned above, the Atlantis Resort is the largest marine habit in the world, only second to Mother Nature. Having all these marine habits throughout the grounds truly enhances the beauty of this resort. We spent several hours just walking around and around the resort in awe of these marine habitats. Outside of the Reef Wing of the Coral Towers you will find nurse sharks in lagoons located directly outside these guestrooms, and … sidewalks. Yes folks, I could walk right up to the edge of this lagoon and be so close to these amazing animals it wasn’t funny. No, there were no fences holding people back. Only a few signs posted nearby that said something to the fact that these animals have large teeth. My ten-year-old got a big kick out of that!
Without going into great detail, (because this review is long enough) I’m going to mention several of the Marine Life Exhibits and viewing locations found throughout the resort.
~ Royal Stingray Lagoons ~ Located directly outside of the Royal Towers, this lagoon is packed with stingrays. Not only can you view from a bridge above, but you can also get a close up view from the ground.
~ Predator Falls & Rope Suspension Bridge ~ Located near the Coral Towers, we found this to be a really neat viewpoint of the marine life. At one point when we walked over this bridge, we had three sawfish sharks lying directly below us. We could also see the stingrays trying to hide their identity by burying themselves in the sand.
~ The Dig ~ Located in the Royal Towers, this is an amazing site. And, if you are not a guest of this hotel, you will pay to view it! While we never went on a tour, we were mesmerized by the many different habitats found in the dig. The jellyfish and the lobster tanks were the biggest hits with our children.
~ Predator Lagoon, Reef & Underwater Viewing Tunnel ~ Yes, I’m back to the Predator Reef again! But this time, you can go underneath the reef, which provides a whole new look at these animals!
~ Mayan Temple Predator Lagoon ~ Located at the Royal Towers, this lagoon is packed full of some serious predators. Sharks! Want a closer look? You can view above the water, from the ground, or … directly inside if you are brave enough to ride the Serpent Slide.
Make sure to bring plenty of film with you, as you will want to capture everything! And if you forgot your film, don’t worry. Not only can you purchase film in one of the gift shops, but there is also photo processing done on grounds, complete with the option to purchase photos their staff members have taken.
~ Haven’t spent enough money yet? Want to shop? ~
Now that your credit card company is so happy to hear that you are at the Atlantis Resort, you are going to want to take home a few souvenirs, right? Well, if you are shopping on a limited budget, you will find some things available for you. And, if you have a larger budget, get ready to shop!
Located throughout the Royal, Coral and Beach Towers (which is all connected via hallways) are the Atlantis Logo Stores. By the name I’m sure that you can guess that you can find anything from postcards to t-shirts, towels and much more with the Atlantis logo on it. Want to know what the bargain of the day is? Playing cards. Yep! Real cards that were once used in the casino are for sell for $1. That was by far my biggest bargain of our whole Bahamas vacation!
Want more upscale shopping. Is your credit card ready? Located in the Royal Towers right off of the casino are the Crystal Court Shops. Here you will find such names like Gucci, Cartier, Bvlgari and Amici.
There are also other stores located throughout the hallways at the Atlantis. The one that comes to mind most is the Colombian Emeralds. You never know, you might just cash in the big money in the casino. And, I’m pretty sure that the Atlantis would love for you to spend it right there! And did you know that your purchases are duty free?
~ Time to pamper yourself? ~
Boy! How I wish that I had had the time, and money, to pamper myself while at the Atlantis. Located in the Royal Towers, the spa contains 24 treatment rooms to specialize in pampering yourself! Some of the pampering that can be done ~
~ a sauna
~ 2 steam rooms
~ 2 tropical rain showers
~ hair, pedicure & manicure stations
~ lounges for both women & men
~ special rooms for those facials
~ boutique full of spa & beauty products
~ massages (wide range)
In your room you will find information on the spa and the services that they provide, along with a price sheet.
~ Need to exercise? ~
If you feel the need to exercise, then you are in luck. The Sports Center is located behind the Royal Towers and provides various outlets for you to partake in. Such as ~
~ four lane lap pool
~ full size basketball court
~ volleyball court
~ 10 tennis courts
~ fitness equipment, classes & personal training are available
~ 18 hole putting course
~ pro-shop (just in case you hadn’t dropped enough money already!)
While our plans for hitting around on the 18 hole putting course didn’t pan out (it started to rain), the course looked like fun. I do not remember exactly the cost of playing, but I know that we did not feel it worth it to play during the drizzling rain!
We did take a quick peek into the Fitness Center. The one wall of the Fitness Center was a solid window looking out upon the grounds of the Atlantis towards the Atlantic Ocean. Not at all a bad view point from a treadmill.
~ Gee Papa, how come your boat isn’t that big? ~
When you are pulling up towards the Atlantis Resort you can not help but be in awe of the boats (okay, yachts) in the Marina. Strategically placed at the heart of the resort, we found ourselves spending hours just viewing these incredible yachts and the amount of wealth sitting inside this marina. Make sure to take your camera, because you will not want to miss out on this photo opportunity!
And if you are reading this and you are considering bringing your boat, if you logged onto www.atlantis.com and click the link Marina, you will be given directions, marina specifications and also check into their services and rates.
~ We need entertainment! ~
Okay, if you are not completely worn out from your fun filled day of water attractions, there are still a few things for you to do in the evening. Here are just a few ~
~ Joker’s Wild Comedy Club ~ Located in the hallway between the Beach Tower and Coral Towers, you will find this Comedy Club.
~ Dragons Nightclub ~ Located in a corner of the casino, this nightclub boasts to have some of the Bahamas most popular bands. When you are tired of dancing, the slot machines are conveniently located nearby.
~ Atlantis Casino ~ Now, if I were a gambler, I would do a larger write up on this casino. But as this was the very first casino I have ever been into, I guess that it would be safe to assume that I have no prior base of comparison. With that being said … I was impressed with this casino. It is easily accessible through the Royal Towers and the Crystal Court Shops (how convenient!). As a family we were able to all walk through, as long as the kids stayed on a certain section of the carpet. It looked to me like security was high during all times during the day, with an ample amount of employees walking around.
Once again, if you are interested in more information on the Casino itself, go to www.atlantis.com. It will give you information on slots, tables, tournaments and more!
~ Club Rush ~ Have a teenager (or even a pre-teenager) with you. This club is located in the Beach Tower and is just for your children! Your teenager will be able to surf the net, play Playstation, dance to some of their favorite tunes and hang out with kids their own age. Plus, it may just give Mom and Dad a bit of privacy of their own! Club Rush is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, and times are posted for the age appropriate grouping.
~ Discovery Channel Camp ~ Do your children want to have a bit more action into their day? I would highly recommend the Discovery Channel Camp. We signed our daughter up for an afternoon session and when I went to pick her up, she wanted to know why I was there so early. And, she decided that she did not want to go shopping to Nassau with us the next day, she wanted to come back to camp!
It really is no surprise why she would want to come back. With activities like arts & crafts, story telling from base camp (a sunken ship with hidden treasures), expeditions to marine habitat feedings and so much more, she had a day and a half-packed full of fun.
Just a couple of tips ~ You can take a tour of the facilities prior to entering your child for camp. We did this and they were quick to answer all our concerns. Put some sun block on your child as they do go to the pool for games, swimming and more! Make your reservations in advance! This camp tends to fill up quickly!
~ Yes, I think that I am finally done rambling on…. ~
Once again, I apologize for the length of this review. The Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island has so much to offer. And yes, I would recommend it as a have to visit just once to see it!
Make sure to save up for this trip, because it will not come cheap. As I mentioned above (somewhere!) you can stay during the off-season more reasonably than during the peak season. My only concern would be the warmth of the water attractions. Yes, I hate to bring it up again, but … this was a big disappointment on our part. Especially if you are bringing your children!
So bring your credit card, sunglasses, swimsuit, sun tan lotion and money … and be prepared to have a great time! Not only is the resort lovely, but so is the staff as well. Come as a couple, or come as a family, you will have a great time!
Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas
toll free (800) ATLANTIS
direct (954) 713-7306
www.atlantis.com
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
sblaydes
|
 in Education, Kids & Family |
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: The midwest...
Reviews written: 194
Trusted by: 392 members
About Me:
E-mail to suggest a product for Kids & Family/Education
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.