Atlantis Paradise Island

I visited this property off a cruise ship, and Wow!

From the various aquariums and activities to the multiple beach areas it was a fantastic day. This is a very very large property. We had lunch in the restaurant overlooking one of the aquarium areas and had sharks and other fish swimming past. The food was good...not great, and the service was slow but the restaurant was extremely full that day so it was to be expected.

The Atlantis casino was large with many gaming options to choose from. I would highly recommend a stop there if you are in the Bahamas and looking for something to do one afternoon. It's also a great stop from a cruise ship if your not interested in touring the rest of Nassau. [Details]

Resort setting was great, but all staff was not as friendly as Disney. Hotel needs upkeep (many paint chips, broken doors, missing bathroom towels, etc..) [Details]

We were in Beach Tower, the least expensive housing at Atlantis. The room was clean, the view was excellent, and we had a small fridge in our room that we didn't expect, so we could buy some groceries and save a bit on meals. [Details]

Resort was clean. Not brand spanking new, but not old either. This place has 4 towers, so you want to make sure you're staying in either the Coral towers or the Royal towers or else your walk to the restaurants will take you forever. We had 2 kids (aged 4 and 1) and the place was too big for the kids to walk back and forth from so we ended up renting a stroller. They didnt have any double strollers so we would squish two kids into the one we had. The beaches were nice and the pools were great. Each tower was surrounded by it's own group of pools. But again, the best places for people with kids would be in the RT or CT. Service was friendly and quick for concierge, poolside, and restaurants. Would go back again but would definitely aim for a different tower and when the kids are older. (The water slides had a minimum height requirement, but there were a few water slides that all four of us actually enjoyed). [Details]

The positives: the staff are very friendly and courteous. The built in aquarium is unique and the water park is fun and well watched by lifeguards.

The neutrals:
It's far from the airport - about 1hr.
The casino is smoky and you have to walk through it, there's no easy way around.
Its not really for strollers or handicapped, the elevators are around, but off the general path, but you can do it.
Staff are nice but relatively clueless on where to find things like the restaurants. Checkin doesn't provide a map, but if you walk around for a couple days you'll find most everything.
Alot of the wild life, including the dolphins and sealions are captive for money.

The dissapointments: First, the beach. Pictures are lovely, but its heavily eroded, it appears man made. After the first few steps it drops from 8inches to about 4 feet deep, its also fairly rough, not calm waters, and can be windy like crazy. Far better beaches in Mexico or Dominican for hanging out. The lagoon is manmade, its calm like a pool and the sand is rocky.

As most already know its a very expensive place to vacation. Average dinner for two is $150US without alcohol. Lunch for 2 will run you about $55USD. And 7.5% vat and 15% gratuity is automatically added. I will say portions are very generous though, a few times we had a full other meal to take with us. We found all of the eating spots very good to excellent.

Any of the features like meeting the sea lions for 30mins will cost 150 per person upward, so its easy to spend 1k a day with a family of 4 eating and participating. Moneys not realy the issue, its the sense that you are being constantly ripped off that is annoying - like $4 for fries that are no better than mcd's.

Finally, the hotel itself, its like a Disney hotel in florida, characterless and corporate. The hotel rooms are standard, the fridges are all weight sensitive so you can't even chill things like milk or a few juice boxes for kids, you'll be temporarily billed for moving things and the sensors take up too much space to fit even leftovers.

We did have a cockroach experience..it is the tropics..but when one lands on your laptop screen in the room..well waking up the neighbors just happens...and then you mash it on the carpet. Which is another thing - why is their carpet in the rooms, its disgusting - sand, skin, mites, roaches - carpet in the carribean is very difficult to clean and maintain properly.

The shower is small and standard, no jacuzzi or larger tub here.

Wifi requires a login and generally is unreliable unless you sit in the same spot. They limit you to 5 devices and it times out every 120 minutes or so.

Possible tips: There is a grocery store called super value, just over the bridge, about 7dollar cab ride each way. Great for breakfast and lunch type items that you don't need to refrigerate or that you didn't bring.

The "fish fry" market closes early, but is good for lunch, expect slow service as stuff is made to order.

I don't recommend going to the Bahamas unless its summer (may june to aug sept) otherwise its too chilly out - it is after all right next to florida. [Details]

Our room missed room service one day and we called 3 times to no avail.Finally I went to the front desk to complain and then they sent someone!
Meals in the so called gourmet restaurants are worse than the average local diner in Canada, and at $200 US for two! Our neighbors changed rooms 3 times due to mold and dirt and their current room air conditioner didn't work. We heard from others too, same bad experience. Also many of the staff were misinformed leading us to restaurants that were not open. Some pools were not available and those that were available were dirty. Flocks of Birds were bathing in the childrens pool every day. [Details]

WHEN WE GOT THERE, OUR ROOM WAS NOT READY AT 3:00 PM, HAD TO WAIT A LONG TIME FOR OUR ROOM TO BE READY, SIT IN THE LOBBY WITH SUIT CASES. BAD BAD BAD

THE FOOD WAS ALSO NOT GOOD, THE COST WAS VERY HIGH, THEY ADD A 15% TIP AUTOMATICLY TO THE ALREADY HIGH PRICE, 2 SMALL SANDWICHES FOR $US 45.00, ITS JUST NUTS !!! THE WIFI WAS $26.00 PER DAY, AND IT WAS WEAK !!! [Details]

We had read some negative reviews prior to leaving for our 5 night, 6 day vacation at Atlantis, Paradise Island and weren't sure what to expect upon arrival. Luckily, we were pleasantly surprised. We stayed in a Harbourview Room in the Royal Towers, which was an upgrade from the Terrace view we had originally booked. (definitely ask for an upgrade no matter what room level you book as it seems like they give upgrades fairly regularly to anyone). The room was big, clean and updated with modern decor. TV was a good sized flat screen with great programming, including a CBS channel for Canadians. We had a coffee maker in the room and they provided Starbucks coffee (including decaf) daily, which we had every morning and was very good. There is a mini bar, which charges by weight, so if you move anything, it will charge it to your room. However, the top shelf was empty, so we were able to keep a 1.5 litre container of milk in it for our toddler's bottles at night, as well as some leftovers from dinners.

We loved the location of being in the Royal Towers, nice and close to all of the main action, however, farther away from the Marina area, which has the cheaper restaurants. We did not have a meal plan, so we did not want to eat in the hotel restaurants every night as meals were at least $30-$50 each. (even breakfast seemed to be $25-$30/person at any of the hotel restaurants. At Plato's bar in the Royal Towers you can get continental style breakfast for a bit cheaper. We got a bagel with cream cheese/jam/peanut butter/etc. 2 mornings and they were $3.95 each and were really good. However, 1 piece of whole fruit (ie. 1 banana, 1 apple, etc.) was $3 USD! We asked for a big 1.5 litre bottle of Dasani water at this bar and it was going to be $9.75!! There is a small grocery store in a little plaza across the street from the Marina area where you can buy essentials like bottles of water for $3.95, fruit for $1/piece, jug of milk for $5.95, yogurt for $1.75 (compared to $4 at Plato's). There is also a pizza place in this same plaza called Anthony's where we ordered a large whole pizza for $17. However, we did find that the Sharkbites cafe in the Mayan Temple pool area of the Royal Towers had very reasonable small salads for $4 and decent lunch prices ($4 for onion rings). Frozen drinks are $10, a beer is $7 - very expensive overall. One tip is if you buy a soft drink, you can keep the cup and refill it all week at any pop machine, they are only $4.
Beach is nice and close to everything, maybe a 5 minute walk from the hotel lobby and was beautiful!! It was a little bay area just beside the Cove hotel area and it was perfectly calm and clear so our toddler could play around very easily. Slides and pool amenities were amazing. Our toddler had so much fun at only 19 months! Most activities there require kids to be 3 though, so plan on doing other things with toddlers under 3. The Dig was great, we only went through it once, but it was definitely an interest for our toddler and for us. Casino is attached to the Royal Towers and you walk through it to get to the Marina area where there are restaurants like Quizno's (which had very reasonable breakfast sandwiches for $5.95) starbucks and a little pizza place which was delicious. It also has a Johnny Rockets, which was reasonable as well. There is a small variety type store in the Royal Towers where we would buy candy, $2.05 for a milkyway bar and $2.35 for a bag of sour gummy bears. They had diapers, drinks, magazines, sunscreen, beach toys, etc. but I don't know how much that stuff was.

We had a great trip and would definitely go back again. You just have to be prepared to spend some money, or make some effort to find the cheaper places if you want to keep it cheaper. Our packages were $1045 which included a direct flight on Westjet from Toronto just under 3 hours (really enjoyed our westjet flight too!) and transportation to and from the airport to Atlantis and of course, our hotel stay. I don't think the meal plan option is necessary. If you want to eat at the hotel restaurants every day/night, then maybe the eating plan would be worth it, but there are plenty of cheaper options in the Marina area and then you could splurge a few nights for hotel restaurant dinners if you really wanted. (the Marina area was about a 10 minute walk through the hotel from our room though FYI)

We took $500 USD and came home with $100. Had to charge $65 USD to our room because some of the cafes by the pool are cashless, but Sharkbites and 2 others accepted cash. So in total, we spent $1045 each (flight/hotel & our toddler was free) for 5 nights at Atlantis and $465 on food/drinks (including for our toddler as well) and never went without. (However, I should mention that I am pregnant, so I was not drinking any alcohol and my husband did not end up getting any alcohol either). You could probably find a liquor store to buy some alcohol to keep in your room and take down to the pool too if you wanted.

Oh and internet is $21.95/day but Quizno's offers free 1-hour access, even if you don't buy anything, so we would connect whenever we went to eat there just to check email, etc. We heard that in the library in the hotel you can use the computers for free as well for 20 minutes.

Great vacation & would definitely recommend it to families, especially with older children. [Details]

The Atlantis Resort Bahamas is a nice resort. The beaches were especially beautiful. I would go back. [Details]

beach &coral towers need a makeover on the outside . Beach tower balconies look over a very old shabby roof. Not what I expected. [Details]

We highly recommend this resort for its outstanding facilities and activities. It offered unparalleled marine habitats, beautiful beaches, an amazing water park with rides to suit all levels of adventure-seekers, and a range of pools for children and adults of all ages. All of the hotel areas were well-staffed with helpful and friendly employees. There was no shortage of things to do. While the food at restaurants was expensive, there was plenty of access to reasonably-priced fare at the pool-side cafes and within walking distance of the resort. [Details]

Our third time back and we'll continue to go! People are great, resort has something for everyone and kids especially will have a blast. Go into town for cheaper, authentic meals...especially the Fish Fry! [Details]

Everything was clean, and outstanding service. The place was amazing.
For sure a dream come true. [Details]

You never have to leave the resort to find relaxation or challenging activities no matter your age. It's great for couples, families and a group of friends. We had a terrific time at Atlantis Paradise Island! [Details]

This is the dirtiest, smelliest, grossest resort ever and we paid for a room in the "royal" tower . Our freshly cleaned room had hair in the sink from when the person who had the room before us had shaved and housekeeping didn't bother to clean it, the tub had a scuzzy ring in it, long hairs near the toilet, stains on the carpet and bedding, and a dirty coffee filter in the coffee maker. It stinks like mold and cigarettes (even tho I requested a non smoking room) and outside the west wing of the royal towers there is an awful, rotten smell that was there the whole week. I always stay in 5 star resorts and I have no clue how this one ever got a 5 star rating. 2 stars at the most!! [Details]

I'll go back again [Details]

Hotel watermark, pools, lazy river are second to none. The room we stayed in(villa) was dated. It needed a really good cleaning. We did ask to have floors washed due to turning our feet black. TV was an issue 3-4 times while there. They were always prompt to fix but still needed fixed. We have been to this resort once before. We said this will be last visit. For the money you pay here it should include wifi but it doesn't [Details]

This was one of the best vacations we have ever been on. Beaches are beautiful, many different swimming pools to choose from, slides are scary for me but my kids loved it. Be prepared to walk a lot if you want to see the whole resort, its worth it! A lot of aquariums with different kind of fish. Rooms are ok, we have stayed at Coral Towers. Maids tried to clean it very well. The only thing that I hated was the carpet in each room which is not suitable for a hot country hotels with all the moist and humid. You don't know what sits in it. Beds were pretty comfortable. I still always prefer my own! When it comes to food, get bring your own bread, food in cans, snacks so you can save some money. A few times we ate at Quiznos which was very good and sandwiches are much bigger than in Canada. Pizza at Anthony's is better than ordering from their Domino's. There is a small store just across from the hotel where you can buy bread, milk, juices and a liquor store and the rum is half the price than in Canada. We brought big plastic cups to make drinks. Buy a cooler that you can fold it, fill it with ice and you can take it to the beach or pool. The ice you can get from the machine in the hotel. Like everybody says, everything is expensive there but you can get around it and sill have a great time, just plan ahead. There are two kinds of people at the service desk, either very friendly, helpful and polite OR VERY BITCHY! Overall it's I would recommend Atlantis to everyone. It's a great experience. [Details]

Great vacation, beautiful scenery, great beach! [Details]

I would like the choice of a nonsmoking area of the hotel, specificly the balconies.
there was a smoker on the balcony next to me.
Perhaps the hotel could provide a group of nonsmoking balconies together.
Also, could the lobbies be nonsmoking? [Details]

I had a fabulous stay at the hotel. It exceeded my expectations in almost everything. On arrival, we were upgraded to Coral Towers, waterfront view. We purchased the Value dining plan, which saved us a huge amount of money. It paid for itself after 3 days. There is so much to do here, we didn't get bored at all. The water park is awesome, the dophin shallow water interaction was phenomenal. Spent a day in Nassau and great to see local area. Wish we wouldn't known about the local fish fry earlier so we could try it.
Small issue with the toilet in our room, but it was fixed fairly quickly. Wouldn't recommend Murray's deli for dinner, but was excellent for breakfast. Olive's was phenomenal all around. Book restaurants reservations in advance [Details]

Hotel is ok, grounds are amazing, staff is ok. if you have a problem, the staff will walk away from you once they have made a decision. Entertainment is non existant. [Details]

beach and coral tower are so under the acceptable level that you don't want to ruin your 5 star vacation. They declined to up grade my room despite my willingness to pay for the royal tower. [Details]

The room I stayed at in the Coral Tower was not good at all. I couldn't get a solid sleep on certain nights because the Altantis theme music was playing all night long outside. The volume was low but for a light sleeper such as myself, I needed complete silence. Also, on a rainy day, I can hear water dropping into the carpet from the ceiling because the room had a leak in the ceiling by the sliding doors that lead to the balcony. I guess you pay for what you get. [Details]

It's a beautiful hotel but very pricy! and compering with the other top but less pricy resorts, service didn't meet my expectation and beach was covered with all see weed and wasn't clean [Details]

If you have reservations about going to Atlantis due to the price, take comfort in the fact that you get what you pay for and in this case, you get even more. Incredible stay. Check out the private cabanas at The Cove, best beach on the island. [Details]

We had a great time, and don't regret going at all. That said, we won't go back because we feel like we were nickel-and-dimed to death. There's an extra charge to do EVERYTHING. Snorkeling? $109/pp. 2 coffee's, 3 muffins, 1 danish = $40. I had heard things were expensive there and I'm glad we went, but we won't go back. [Details]

Atlantis was by far the best resort on Paradise Island. [Details]

Reading reviews before hand can be helpful but also overwhelming. When I was researching The Atlantis - Coral Towers, I guess I focused too much on the bad because when I arrived I was expecting the worst. However when I got there I was enthralled. The grounds of the resort are immaculate (yes there was debris and left over towels but you have to blame kids and their parents not the grounds staff), the hotel, while a little dated in the hallways, the room was spotless and updated (we had a room with two queens). The bathroom was surprisingly spacious, and the view from the balcony was what we wanted - the ocean!

It's amazing at how large the Atlantis resort really is. No matter how manyt times you walk the grounds, you find something new. The only pools that were overly busy were the ones at Aquadventure where the cruise tours had access to them - which left The Blu Pool among others just for resort guests. It was nice to be able to swim without a mass amount of people. The beaches were gorgeous. This was my first time on a beach vacation and those blue waters captured my heart. I still can't believe at how clear the water was. The waters were a little rough so it's best to exercise caution with children and poor swimmers - even just sitting on the edge the surf tossed me around!

Activities on the resort are countless. This truly is a place where anybody with any sort of agenda can relax and have fun. From the dolphin swim and Sea Lion experience at Dolphin Cay, to the Casino, to the movie theatre among many other fun activities for all ages...There is something for everyone!

It is a little pricey, I won't lie, so I seriously recommend getting the value dining plan. It may have only covered breakfast and dinner but I can calculate that it would have cost me at least $90 a day in food for one person and if you eat enough breakfast, lunch isn't really needed.

One thing I would recommend as well is going off island to experience some of the local life. My friends and I chose to do a Dolphin Encounters experience on Blue Lagoon Island and it was by far the highlight of my trip. [Details]

We had a great time. Resort looks massive but it is actually very easy to get around. We had it all figured out by the end of day 1. Get groceries at the store in the dunkin donut plaza but don't bother with DD's "wifi". When we went they said they couldn't give it to us, it wasn't working that day and anyone we spoke to said it never worked. Library in the Coral tower gives you 15 mins a day if you need to check email, etc.. but you're on vacay so skip it unless you're bored. All the restaurants were easy to get into, especially since we were only 2 people. Meals are massive, so split when you can. Bimini road has fair prices and you don't have to split there. Always take the half portion at Virgils when possible.
The pool is fun, slides are great and the beach is awesome. Wish i could go back! 15% gratuity on everything so don't feel bad writing in a big fat 0 for a tip, they already have it. We only tipped one person extra but that was because he was EXCEPTIONAL. I believe his name was Jordan and he works at Murray's Deli.
Room was clean and bright and exactly as pictured. [Details]