Dates traveled 4/26/08-4/30/08

Hotel property is gorgeous and the rooms are very well-appointed. The problem is with the service. Sometimes the staff would be really helpful, and other times it was difficult to carry on a conversation because they seemed to be indifferent. The Cove has so many layers of management and nobody has the authority to make things right. They just keep passing the buck. On average, I had three conversations with different “managers” to get any problem solved.

Transportation – We booked transportation through The Cove as part of the Spring Escape package. The Cove contracts with a company called Bahamas Experience and that was clearly stated on our email confirmation. Upon arriving at Nassau Airport, Bahamas Experience should have been all set to take us to the hotel. According to them, our reservation was nowhere to be found. I explained the situation over and over and I had the email confirmation clearly stating that Bahamas Experience would handle the transfers. We paid for these transfers. Finally, someone from B.E. stepped up and drove us to the hotel. Someone else took down all our information to be sure this didn’t happen again when leaving The Cove. However, it happened again when we were leaving The Cove. The person never followed up and straightened it out. We spent almost 1 hour explaining again and again what the situation was. They were very upset with us because we did not have the name of the reservationist at The Cove who booked our reservation. It would seem that they could punch the reservation number into some computer there and figure it out. Instead, they chose to antagonize us over it. Worried that we would miss our flight, I went to find the hotel general manager in the back office. He got everything taken care of after several minutes of explaining to him what had happened. Our first and last impression of the hotel was extremely poor.

Relaxation – On the first night, we had been awake for almost 40 hours. We needed sleep. Our neighbors on both sides were having parties at 11:30 p.m. We called the hotel manager (pushed the hotel manager button on the phone) and they assured us they would handle it. After two more calls, a trip to the reception desk, and me pounding on the wall while two people had relations in the next room, the noise finally stopped. I was told that I would receive a credit of 50% off the night’s stay. After more phone calls and another discussion upon check out, they finally did honor the credit. There were kids running up and down the hallways at various hours of the night and morning. Parents clearly do not discipline their children while staying here. There were poorly behaved kids everywhere. I understand that Atlantis is next door, but it seems that The Cove is merely an extension to the theme park that is Atlantis, and not a chic upscale hotel that they market The Cove to be. The elevator floors were soaked with water from kids in wet bathing suits running all over the hotel. The housekeepers slammed doors early in the morning while cleaning. If you want a fair amount of peace and quiet, this is not the hotel for you.

Mesa Grill (The Cove) – Food great, service great. Two entrees, one side and two drinks = $136 (including tip). Did not enforce dress code that is clearly stated in hotel literature. We were dressed appropriately but many guests were not.
Seafire Grill (Marina Village) – Food great, service great. One appetizer, one entrée, two beers = $92 (including tip).
Atlas Grill (Atlantis Casino) – Food great, service even better. One burger and two sodas = $28 (including tip).
Dune (Ocean Club) - Fantastic food and service. Cove guests have charging privileges here. We ate here once for lunch and once for dinner. Lunch was $71 including tip (4 beers, chicken sandwich split in two) and Dinner was $160 including tip (two entrees and 4 drinks). After The Cove told us to expect the Ocean Club shuttle in 20 minutes, they told us it would be another 20 minutes. Someone finally took us to Ocean Club so we would not be late for our dinner reservation.
Johnny Rockets (Marina Village) – We could not get served here so we left.
Starbucks (The Reef) – Great drinks and pastries. Prices are slightly higher than usual.
Murray’s Delicatessen (Atlantis) – Good sandwiches, good service. Pick up sandwiches here and picnic at Cabbage Beach. Prices are fairly reasonable.

Prices (general) – The food and drink prices are outrageous. The cheapest glass of wine anywhere is $15. I will absolutely pay for fine food and drinks, but the value here is absurd. I heard that they have to import everything and that is why the food is expensive. When we took the ferry to Nassau, we ate at Burger King for lunch. The prices were actually cheaper than in California. I am sure they have to import everything too, but somehow, the prices are really low. While on Nassau, buy beer and wine and take it back to the hotel to save some money. We bought a nice bottle of wine and a 6 pack of local beer for $19. Remember, there are no refills on sodas, just like in Europe.

Beaches – The Cove and Atlantis beaches are not very nice. They are rocky and were blown out by the wind when we were there. Stroll down the beach to Cabbage Beach and it is very peaceful, even with three cruise ships in port and lots of people on the island.

Water sports – We had so much fun on the water slides and lazy river! There are plenty of lifeguards and helpful employees to make sure everyone has a great time. Atlantis really does a good job with this.

Cain – The most beautiful pool scene ever! The music was fabulous. The service was extremely slow. One time, they didn’t charge us for our drinks because they knew we had waited about 45 minutes.

Room – On the afternoon of our last day, the air conditioning broke. The room got up to 78 degrees. We called to report the problem. We were called back twice and told that the problem had been fixed. That was not true. I think most, if not all guests were credited with one night’s stay because of this.

Overall – Nice hotel, horrible fellow guests, inconsistent service, great activities. This place would be great if they make it adults only and if they get another restaurant. It’s either Starbucks or Mosaic (expensive buffet) for breakfast and nothing in between. I think we’ll try Ocean Club next time.