Atlantis Paradise Island Resort & Casino

Frommer's Review

This creatively designed megaresort, the biggest in The Bahamas, functions as a vacation destination and theme park in its own right. A blockbuster in every sense of the word, it contains the most creative interiors, the most intriguing aesthetics, and the most elaborate waterscapes of any hotel in the country. It's the most recent incarnation of a resort that originated early in the days of Paradise Island tourism, passing through rocky and sometimes less glamorous days before reaching its startling newest incarnation as a destination that appeals to adults (its gambling facilities are the largest in The Bahamas) and to ecologists (its focus on the protection of marine life adds a welcome dose of "save the planet" to an otherwise relentlessly consumerist theme). And it exerts a potent lure for children, and the child that remains within many of us, thanks to its evocation of a "Lost Continent" whose replicated ruins evoke -- you guessed it -- Atlantis.

But whereas the newest of its buildings manage to conjure thoughts of both science fiction and ancient mythology at the same time (no easy feat), its older buildings still retain a whiff of the old Resorts International and Merv Griffin days of the 1980s. But thanks to skillful landscaping and the presence on-site of miles of canals whose currents carry swimmers with flotation devices on meandering runs down mythical rivers, no one seems to notice. The entire sprawling compound opens onto a long stretch of white-sand beach with a sheltered marina. Think Vegas in the Tropics, with a mythological theme and an interconnected series of lagoons, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and water tubes thrown in, and you'll get the picture. One advantage to the place is that there's a lot of visual distraction and high-energy, upbeat stimulation; the downside is that it's sprawling, impersonal, and at times downright bureaucratic, and the service from the sometimes bored staff just can't keep up with the number of guests here.

Overall, however, it's an appropriate choice for a (rather expensive) family vacation, since the price of the resort includes direct access to endless numbers of watery gimmicks. Children's programs are widely comprehensive and well choreographed, and many parents simply turn their kids loose for a day onto the extensive grounds and the dozens of inland canals and water tunnels crisscrossing the flat and sand terrain on which the resorts sits, with the understanding that a battalion of lifeguards and supervisors keep the show rolling and the safety levels up to par. Singles and young couples who want a lot of razzle-dazzle appreciate the place, too, though some people find it over-the-top, too expensive, and too firmly mired in the limitations of its own "lost continent" theme.

Much of the look of the place derives from its ownership by Kerzner International, a global investment company that originated in South Africa. Atlantis offers so many sports, dining, and entertainment options that many guests never venture off the property during their entire vacation. It's expensive, but for your money, you'll find yourself neck-deep amid many of the diversions you might have otherwise expected from a theme park. And if you opt for accommodations in one of the resort's less plush accommodations, especially within the Beach Tower of the Atlantis's main core, the cost bite won't seem quite as severe. Accommodations within The Atlantis Resort retain distinctly different levels of opulence, for the most part based on where they're located. The most opulent and most expensive accommodations lie in semisecluded annexes whose facilities are not open to the general hotel population of Atlantis. They include The One&Only Ocean Club and The Cove, a 600-unit, all-suite hotel-within-the-hotel, which opened in 2007. Both of those pockets of heightened posh were conceived and designed as separate and semi-independent components within the Greater Atlantis, and each is described in separate recommendations below.

As this resort has expanded, accommodations within the central core of the Atlantis megacompound are emerging as the less expensive accommodations within the resort. And of those accommodations, the most plush lie within the Royal Towers -- the tallest and most imaginative building in The Bahamas. You'll get the feeling that an army of designers labored long and hard over the interior decors, replete as they are with decorative replicas of sea horses, winged dragons, and megasize conch shells sprouting from cornices and rooflines. (Rooms in the Royal Towers' Imperial Club have a personal concierge and upgraded amenities.) The most deluxe accommodation anywhere within the Atlantis fiefdom is the Bridge Suite, an architectural oddity that links, several stories above ground level, the two spires of the Royal Towers. It rents for $25,000 (£13,250) a day and during its celebrated history was occupied by Michael Jordan during his involvement with tournaments at the on-site golf course.

The casino and entertainment complex lie in an area over the watery depths of a lagoon. Less posh and less plush are rooms within the Coral Tower, and least expensive of the entire lot are accommodations within the still-serviceable but older Beach Tower, with a floor plan shaped like an airplane propeller, from the dimly remembered 1980s. But even in the older, least expensive sections, accommodations are comfortable and well accessorized, and available with the full understanding that occupants get full access to the sprawling water parks that are otherwise accessible only on a limited basis to nonresidents. Most units sport a balcony or terrace with water views, individually controlled air-conditioning, in-room movies, and voice mail and modem access, plus roomy bathrooms with tubs and showers.

Any old hotel might sport tropical gardens, but the Atlantis goes one better by featuring the world's largest collection of outdoor open-air marine habitats, each of them aesthetically stunning. A few of these were conceived for snorkelers and swimmers, but most were designed so guests could observe the marine life from catwalks above and from glassed-in underwater viewing tunnels. Even folks who don't stay here, including thousands of cruise-ship passengers, can take part in orchestrated tours. These jaunts include 11 different exhibition lagoons, containing millions of gallons of water and at least 200 species of tropical fish. On-site marine habitats include a separate lagoon for sharks, for dolphins, and for stingrays, respectively, and individual habitats for lobsters, piranhas, and underwater exotica. Swimmers can meander along an underwater snorkeling trail (Paradise Lagoon) and explore a five-story replica of an ancient ziggurat-shaped Mayan temple. The temple's sides incorporate a waterslide with slippery, wet, and wild runs that feature an 18m (59-ft.) nearly vertical drop. Participants emerge from the sculpted mouths of giant Mayan gods like human sacrifices as they race giddily down the course of the waterslide.

In 2007, additional water features known collectively as Aquaventure were added to the layout, bringing the number of hectares devoted to water features at Atlantis to 39 (97 acres). The most visible monument within Aquaventure is a mythical-looking building, the Power Tower, site of another set of waterslides more imaginative even than those within the above-noted Mayan temple, each skillfully landscaped into the surrounding vegetation. Aquaventure, its labyrinth of meandering streams and waterfalls, is accessible, without charge, for residents of any of the accommodations within the Atlantis complex but otherwise is strictly off-limits to the general public.

One major entertainment venue within the Paradise Island layout includes the Marina Village. It was inspired by an old Bahamian harborfront in "the good old days" with a string of clapboard-sided houses (think historic Key West, Florida, but with a lot more money). Flanking a marina that draws some of the most spectacular yachts in the world, it's a self-enclosed venue, within the orbit of Atlantis, for dozens of shops, bars, and restaurants, replete with gazebos and live musicians. Along with the casino and an arcade of shops, it is one of the areas open to the general public: The water park and many of the grounds surrounding this place are strictly reserved only for hotel guests of the resort.

The focal point of this extravagance is the massive Paradise Island Casino, the best-designed and -- at the time of this writing -- most imaginatively conceived casino in The Bahamas. The casino alone contains four separate bars and two separate restaurants. Within the diverse and scattered elements of this extended resort, you'll find around 38 separate food and beverage outlets, some of which open, close, and are reconfigured at occasionally dizzying rates. None of them comes cheap: You should expect to pay a lot to dine or drink in most of them.

Coming Attractions -- During the lifetime of this edition, Atlantis will begin a new phase of development that will continue to enlarge and, to some extent, redefine the megaresort's present layout. Individual elements (only some of which will be completed in time for 2009) include the opening of a 400-unit condominium complex whose units will be rented to hotel guests according to the whims and priorities of each individual owner. There will almost certainly be an ongoing configuration of some of the resort's dining and drinking options, and the fine-tuning of features added new in 2007, including the dolphin encounter known as Dolphin Cay, which was still in its infancy at press time for this edition but which showed strong commitment to eventually housing up to 75 trained dolphins; and a sprawling (4,645-sq.-m/49,998-sq.-ft.) new cluster of additional meeting and convention facilities.

But for us, at least, the ultimate proof of Atlantis's wildly innovative and creative style lies in plans for the creation of an Atlantis megaresort, sometime during 2010 or 2011, in Dubai. We've seen the architectural renderings of this Aladdin's Lamb/Arabian Nights fantasy. The scale and scope of the place evokes the labors of the Pharaohs, and the sense of fantasy and imagination does nothing but inspire awe for both the Kerzner Group and the growth that's happening in Dubai. Since gambling is illegal in the Muslim context of Dubai, the place is being planned without a casino, but with a nod to principles of the Koran; inspiration from some of the great mosques of Turkey, Persia, the Magreb, and the Arab Emirates; and a water park that's even bigger than the one on Paradise Island. All we can say to Kerzner's involvement in this new venture is "Wow" and "Inshallah."

Facilities: 20 restaurants within the Atlantis subsection of the resort; 18 lounges and clubs; 17 outdoor pools interspersed with 39 hectares/97 acres of waterscape; golf course; 5 tennis courts; health club; spa; sauna; watersports equipment/rentals; children's programs (ages 4-12); salon; room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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