Atlantis Paradise Island
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Atlantis Paradise Island Review: (Jump To)
Sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s, I began to see ads for what seemed to be a place for the rich and famous, Atlantis. The ads showed off a glamorous beach resort on a private island in the Bahamas. My young eyes gazed at the screen never imagining I would go to such a place. Fast forward 20-ish years and here I am, exiting my airport taxi about to check into my childhood fantasy.
I will start by saying that in the intervening years, I realized that beach vacations are not my thing. I’m an active adventure seeker who likes to see things and do things that I can’t do at home while I travel. I live in Southern California. If I want to chill on the beach, I can be foot on sand in under an hour. Nevertheless, I was ready to spend three days fighting my urge to adventure.
Atlantis Bahamas Rooms and Grounds
The hotel is a huge complex with multiple buildings. We were assigned an ocean-view room about halfway up a tower. The rooms were nothing special. They were similar to accommodations at any other resort I have been to. They were nice, but not really luxurious.
The resort grounds are very beautiful. There are plenty of paths around to stroll between buildings on the property. Many paths cross through and over water features filled with sea creatures. The resort reports that the marine habitat is home to over 50,000 animals.
There is also a large indoor and outdoor aquarium that is free to explore.
The resort is beachside with multiple access points to the white sand beach. The beach is public so once you pass that imaginary line you’re technically not at the resort any longer. There are many locals trying to sell things on the beach. A popular treat is a cocktail mixed on the beach and served in a coconut.
Atlantis Bahamas Waterpark
There is also a modestly sized waterpark with a number of slides and attractions. Our favorite was the Rapid River, a lazy river that includes some fun twists and turns. The design of the river is amazing because you can guide yourself up conveyor belts that lead to raft slides. Essentially you can keep going around the river over and over while taking slides, never having to get off your raft. Or you can skip the slides and leisurely float by. Genius. They also have a famous tube slide that goes through a shark tank. Fun, but it hurt, so we only did it once. There were also plenty of pools with swim-up bars to relax and enjoy a cocktail.
Nearby the hotel is Marina Village, a collection of shops and restaurants catering to guests of the hotel. There are plenty of dining options for any range of tastes.
Atlantis Bahamas Tips For Visiting
Before our trip we heard that food was very expensive on the island, so we packed a collection of snacks in our suitcase. We were glad we did. The food was crazy expensive here. For a low-end sit-down dinner without drinks, you’re looking at USD$20 each before taxes and tip. The island imposes a value-added tax (VAT) of 12%. When dining at the resort they also add a mandatory 15% tip to everything. You might think that that’s reasonable because you would tip at least that much anyway. The thing is, they add it to EVERYTHING. Even at places where you wouldn’t normally leave a tip. Without realizing it, you order two ice cream cones and your bill is nearly $20!
The other major bummer of the resort is that they close the pools very early. Evenings here are warm. Who doesn’t love an evening poolside in the warm air holding a Mai Tai? Sadly, the pools close at 5 pm. We struggled to find things to do in the evenings at the resort.
Another strange happening at the resort is that the place is packed with cruise ship passengers during the day. The resort sells day passes to cruisers who come by the busload to the resort to use all the amenities. This can be very off-putting if you’re a resort guest finding yourself suddenly in a crowded resort. (However, it’s a great way to experience the resort and waterpark if you’re visiting the Bahamas on a Cruise!)
We ended up having a great time. We made the best of the time at the pool and in the waterpark. Spending three nights at the hotel was about perfect. The strange resort policies and high prices would probably prevent us from returning again, but we were glad to have had the chance to live out my late 90s fantasy.
If beach relaxation is your goal, a great stateside alternative to the Bahamas is Key West.
