I booked through a Travelzoo.com link because Atlantis was offering a "deal" for $209/night. Little did I know that after taxes and mandatory maid tip ($14/person), the real price was $262.08. This is fine if the hotel was actually a 4-star hotel. Trust me, it's not. You're paying for the privilege of living inside the resort and not paying the water park admission. Otherwise, it's a $59 room masquerading as a $250 one. First I'll review the room and hotel itself before I mention the resort.
The room smelled dank and nasty. In the 3 days I stayed there, the maid did not set foot into the room. She had knocked and I asked her to come back later but she never did. So much for the $28/day fee. The room is a fair size and all have balconies. Unfortunately, most of the rooms facing North (the waterpark and ocean views) are also right above loud generators and ventilation machines. It's impossible to sleep with the balcony door open. Bedsheets feel like they haven't been changed in ages and the minibar is weight sensitive. Atlantis links your credit card to your room key allowing you to buy food and anything in the resort with the room key; this is convenient but also dangerous - more on that later.
When I got home, I noticed 2 phantom charges on my room card linked to my AMEX. Turns out these utter thieves charged me $17.50 and $21.50 for using the minibar which I didn't even touch. I called them and they quickly agreed to cancel. This must happen a lot and I'm sure they get a ton of unsuspecting tourists who don't follow up.
Now to the resort. The resort itself is absolutely gorgeous; the marine life is worth the price of admission. Architecture and design is almost all on an Atlantean theme. There were hammerhead sharks in the bays, 40 manta rays, great whites, you name it. The waterslides are awesome and the pools (at least 10) are immaculate and beautiful. Prices are insanely high at almost all the restaurants and souvenir stores. $5/bottled water.
Be careful with your room key. I lost it on the lazy river ride and was terrified because my credit card is unlimited. I was afraid someone would take it to the casino and gamble. Go immediately to the front desk to notify them.
The great thing about the waterpark is, if you can’t swim like me, every single pool and ride is at a maximum depth of 5 feet. This is great because I was really worried about not being able to have fun. I was able to ride everything without fear of the water.
The restaurants are not that great. We went to Anthony’s Grill (not in the resort) the first night and had the worst $100 meal for 2. Everything was deep fried and the steak was awful. On the third night, we went to Mosaic for their buffet. I heard good things but was totally disappointed. They oversalt all their main course making them inedible; they must do that on purpose so that you’re forced to drink water and fill yourself up. The desserts looked great but tasted really bad – the cookies must have been from the supermarket and the warm chocolate cake was rubbery and awful. All for $65/person. The decor and the food looked beautiful but eating it was an entirely different matter.
On a bright note, we had the absolute best time at Dune, the restaurant at the Ocean Club (of James Bond Casino Royale fame). Absolutely breathtaking views of the ocean, especially at sunset. Food was among the best I ever had (and I live in Manhattan). Mussels were delicious and flavored perfectly, snapper was a delight, steak was perfecto, and the sampler dessert platter was a dream. The Ocean Club is absolutely one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been and the best restaurant experience I ever had. The bill at the end of the night was $215 for two and we were stuffed. Take the free shuttle from any Atlantis hotel there.
Random tips:
1) Cab to and from airport costs $30 + tip.
2) Bring Hat, Suntan lotion, Sunglasses, and good sandals! Otherwise, be prepared to pay big time. I nearly went blind from the sun because I forgot sunglasses and a hat.
3) Bahamians are very friendly folks. Love the country.
4) Get the daily event guide from the front desks to find out what the events are.
5) The shallow dolphin interaction is a total ripoff. You pay $140/person for 40 minutes touching a dolphin and getting your picture taken. In 10 person groups you get maybe 2 actual minutes of the dolphin to yourself. Rest of the time is the trainer making it do tricks.
6) Renting a locker is almost inevitable and it costs $5/day. What's more, if you don't return the key by 5:30 or 6:00, they'll charge you $50. Atlantis is just trying to squeeze as much out of its guests as possible.
Next time, we may stay at the Comfort Suites across the street and pay for the daily admission to the park.







Value
Location (e.g., convenience, views)
Check-in / front desk
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