Lauren here! One of my absolutely favorite places to go for a beach destination? The Atlantis in the Bahamas. I’ve been lucky enough to go several times, and am constantly itching to go back [seriously, it’s a favorited location on my weather app]. Plus it holds an extra special place in my heart because I got engaged there […and the ring almost fell into the ocean and it became a bit dramatic, but that’s a story for another day…]! I wanted to share a few of my favorite things about the Atlantis, and tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way!

While The Atlantis is not an All-Inclusive resort, it has a TON to offer – all things water [I’m talking over 10 pools, a mile long not-so-lazy river [I’d seriously float this all day if I could],  water slides, and miles and miles of beach space], over 20 restaurants and bars [including celebrity chef restaurants], casinos, an aquarium, golf, spa, arcade, movie theater, shopping, and seriously so.much.more. Everything is kept pristine, from the palm trees to the pools…. man. Thinking about this is making me want to go back ASAP. Anyways…

Lodging

The Adult Pool [exclusive for guests of The Cove]

The Atlantis is not just one building of hotel rooms, it’s several spread out throughout the BIG property [if I had to guess, I’d say 10-15 buildings? Maybe more?]. They’re constantly renovating them as some had gotten pretty outdated. They’re all going to be at different price points, and all have different perks [are you doing a couples or trip or is it you and the whole fam and you’d like some space and a kitchen?]. The nicest [more expensive ones] are going to be The Cove, The Reef, and the Royal. Here’s how they break it down, to give you an idea about each [and you can see them all here]:

• The Cove: The Cove is an elegant hotel perfect for couples seeking a romantic getaway all the way to families in need of a relaxing oasis. The Cove guests have exclusive access to The Adult Pool [shown in the pic above!]
• The Reef: The Reef combines the amenities of a luxury Caribbean hotel while keeping a home-away-from-home feel with the choice of residential-style suites and studios. Guests have the added benefits of a private pool and access to a private strip of Paradise Beach.
• The Royal: When you stay at The Royal you’re at the center of everything Atlantis. You’re steps away from the world’s largest open-air marine habitat, our huge Aquaventure water park, and many more amazing Atlantis experiences
• The Coral: Designed with families in mind, The Coral is the perfect Bahamian vacation destination for guests of all ages. The Coral is conveniently located near activities and experiences for adults, children, and everyone in between. ** this includes access to the Adults Only Pool – The Cove Pool!
• The Beach: The Beach is for budget-conscious families looking for value without sacrificing any of the wonderful experiences that come with vacationing at Atlantis
• Harborside: Located a short distance from the main Atlantis property across our world-renowned Marina, Harborside is a secluded escape for the seasoned traveler. The simple yet luxurious water-side villas will make you feel like a full-time Bahamian resident and are best for large groups or families thanks to spacious layouts and amenities such as full kitchens and laundry.

We’ve only stayed at the Reef thanks to some family connections, and have loved having our own kitchen area for breakfast, lunch, and some cocktail storage. And let’s just say we’ve walked and swam alongside [literally] Mark Whalberg, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, some Bachelors and Bachelorettes and The Situation 😉 . This is the end of The Atlantis where the celebs are staying.

Food & Drinks

Sip Sip

The famous Pina Colada at the Adult Pool

View from Anchorage Restaurant in Nassau

There are a TON of food and drink options at The Atlantis. However, I will say, it is not cheap to eat and drink here. We always arrange a car service from the airport to The Atlantis in advance, and be sure to let them know that we’d like to make a stop at a grocery store and liquor store on the way. It will add a bit to your car service bill, but it will save you a ton of money on F&B over the trip. Several days of our trips, we would have breakfast and or lunch in our room, and then go out for dinner each night. So this is a good approach if you’re trying to make it more affordable!

The Atlantis has everything from Celebrity Chef restaurants [that tend to change every few years!] to carry out pizza places, a brewery, and snack shacks [see all options here]! I’d highly recommend making dinner reservations in advance [at least a few weeks in advance if possible] to ensure you can eat where you want! We usually do two or three “nicer” dinners that require reservations, and then head down to the Marina area for some casual bites where reservations aren’t required the other nights. Our favorite from the Fine Dining section are Fish and Nobu! Carmines is a bit more casual but is family style Italian, so great especially for leftovers!  You can even leave the resort and head to Margaritaville or leave Paradise Island as a whole and check out some traditional Bahamian meals in Nassau [like at Fish Fry!]. We liked Anchorage for a traditional meal with SO much food, priced much more affordably, and a great view. But warning- there’s no AC!

During the day, you can get poolside drinks at several of the snack shacks, as well as servers walking around some of the beach and pool areas. And if you’re lucky enough to have access to the adult pool, you’ll have a constant flow of servers checking on you.

Last but not least about F&B – the pina coladas. Ohhhh the pina coladas. They’re like $17 but so good.

Things To Do

If your ideal vacation includes lounging by the beach or pool, don’t worry, you’ve got plenty of options there. However, if you [or your kids] like to keep busy, here’s some of what The Atlantis has to offer!

• Swim with dolphins, snorkel in the Aquarium, boat excursions
• The Waterpark! – Water Slides, lazy river, SO fun!
• Kids arcade, movie theater, pottery studio, teen dance club
• Casino
• Night Club
• Spa
• Golf
• Explore the Marina [with some HUGE yachts]
• …and so much more!

One thing to note- The Atlantis is BIG! Like, so big. There are some shuttle busses that can take you around, so if you’re staying at one end of the resort and want to do something at the other end, you can take a shuttle to get there quickly [and sweat free]. We loved walking everything because you seem to always get lost and discover something new, but sometimes you don’t want to show up to dinner a sweaty mess 😉

While that’s all available through The Atlantis, we actually booked some excursions outside of the resort [better prices and just nice to get away too!].

• Day trip catamaran cruise for snorkeling and lunch [to Rose Island] – we did the full day cruise because it also included lunch, allowed more snorkel and cruising time, and we thought it was perfect!
• Evening dinner catamaran cruise
• Ferry [or taxi] over to Nassau – the Paradise Island to Nassau ferry is only about $5 and runs on a certain schedule. You can either walk to the ferry dock or take one of the Atlantis shuttles to get you close!

Events

Sometimes there are special events there like concerts! And in the Fall they usually host a collegiate basketball tourney! My husband and I saw Kenny Chesney there [SUCH an intimate experience because the venue is small], and I’m dying at the fact that I didn’t go when Lady Gaga was there. GAH! Keep an eye on the events page and their social media!