Exploring Atlantis

The Atlantis resort, themed after an ancient (and fictional) civilization, is grandly scaled and beautiful. Like many resorts it features a beach, a casino, a spa, luxury shopping, and good restaurants, along with three hotels designed to match differing budgets. But there are a couple of things that make Atlantis really special.

One is the marine habitat. Atlantis features an aquatic environment that contains several million gallons of salt water and tons of fish. Visitors can view sharks, sea turtles and stingrays - sometimes just by looking out of their hotel room windows. There's a viewing tunnel at the Predator Reef, and several restaurants have tables right next to the main aquarium tank. The Dig, themed with artifacts from Atlantis, is a destination in itself. Here moray eels, lionfish, spiny lobsters, piranha, and sea cucumbers reside in smaller tanks along a path that allows one to see many different views of the main aquarium, which is filled with amazing fish from jacks and French grunts to sharks and a manta ray. Soon Atlantis will also open up the Dolphin Cay, where visitors can swim with the dolphins right on-site.

The other element that makes Atlantis stand out is its pools and waterslides. There are many beautiful pools, including three play areas for children. Some pools are zero-entry; some are connected by waterslides; some feature hidden caves underneath waterfalls; some are hot tubs; one is a lazy river ride; and all are perfect for relaxing in the Bahamian sun. There are a number of incredible waterslides, including two that shoot through a shark tank. Of course, there's glass separating the sharks from the humans, but it's still quite a thrill. One of these two is the Leap of Faith, a several-story almost completely vertical slide. There are smaller waterslides of varying intensity all around the park. And the resort has just opened Aquaventure, a water "slide" that ups the fun factor by incorporating - I kid you not - water escalators, conveyors, rapids, and surges.

The resort includes three hotels connected by an indoor hallway with stores, restaurants, the casino, and entertainment along the way. There's a marina, and the walk to the Harborside Resort (for timeshares) goes through the Marina Village. This pleasant outdoor area includes additional shops and restaurants, plus a Starbucks and a Jamba Juice. Atlantis just opened an all-suites hotel, The Cove, and is building a condo hotel.

Quick Tips:

The Royal Towers is the most opulent and expensive of the hotels here, but it's worth the extra expense. Here's a great way to make it worthwhile: stay at the Imperial Club. During the day you can always go into the Lounge Club to eat (continental breakfast is served from 7-11am and tea is from 3-5pm) and get all the drinks you want - all included in the stay price. This way, you only pay for dinner - and since Atlantis' restaurants can be expensive, this is a great way to curb the daily spending once you arrive. The Imperial Club also includes upgraded concierge service and private elevator access.

If you go during the offseason: Expect a heightened chance of hurricanes. There will be occasional rain showers, but these can be waited out at the nearest shady bar and are of very little inconvenience. Visitors will encounter no lines at the water slides, no crowds, a relaxed dress code at restaurants and no need for reservations. However, some restaurants will only open a few days a week or may stay closed altogether, so plan accordingly.

Atlantis is very child-friendly. All resort bathrooms have diaper changing tables. There are three kids' pools, one near the Beach Tower and two by the Royal Towers. One of the pools by the Royal Towers is a veritable water playground, featuring sprays, falls, water projectile toys, nets, and a bucket that splashes kids with gallons of water every few minutes. Children can participate in Atlantis programs by joining the Kids Club, and kids ages 6-12 can spend the day in Discovery Kids Adventure camp to learn about sea animals and decode hieroglyphs in the Dig. There's even a teen dance club called Club Rush and an arcade.

One good way to keep your blood pressure down in the Bahamas is to remember that everything here operates on Bahamian Standard Time - that is, the schedule is often very relaxed. The employees at Atlantis are well-trained in service basics - tourism is vital here, after all - but on occasion you'll run into a 20-minute wait at Starbucks or a shuttle bus that's 15 minutes late. Yes, it can be annoying. But on the other hand, you're on vacation. What's your hurry? Go with the flow and you'll start to appreciate the slower pace of life here.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking! You'll need to take a cab from the airport at Nassau to Paradise Island, but once you're at Atlantis you won't need any transportation unless you want to hop back over the bridge to Nassau. A free shuttle bus runs between the three hotels and Harborside Resort, and another one takes you around the island to the golf course and other destinations.

When Atlantis was built in the 1990s, two hotels already existed on the property. These two became the Coral Towers and the Beach Tower. The Royal Towers, with its huge scale, towering sculptures, monumental fountains and elegant decor, were built specifically for Atlantis and are the resort's most luxurious accommodations. Here you can visit the huge aquarium habitat in the Dig, or have lunch at the Great Hall of Waters, or head right out to the pools. One of the Royal Towers' perks is its location - it is closest to the big waterslides and many of the best pools in the entire resort. It's also close to the casino, which lies along the indoor hallway from the Royal Towers to the Coral Towers, to shopping and to the buffet restaurant Marketplace. The sports center and the spa also lie nearby.

The Royal Towers is one of those hotels that makes you stop and stare in awe as soon as you catch sight of it - and that feeling doesn't go away as you enter. It's a little like going into one of the Las Vegas hotels, such as the Bellagio or the Luxor, for the first time. The rooms are very comfortable and elegant, and most have at the very least French balconies - these aren't actually balconies, just a sliding glass door to the outside with a balustrade just beyond. Most of the time you'll either have a view of the resort (impressive) or the marina (also very nice).

I've rarely heard complaints about the service and staff here, and if I have it's usually from hassled tourists who haven't yet adjusted to the sun-soaked casualness of "Bahamian time" and are upset with wait times. My experience has been that the service is consciously fast and professional, and friendly to boot. Some of the nice folks in the Club Lounge (a part of the Imperial Club package) even wrote down for me some of their Bahamian family recipes. And if it's the offseason, you might even have a good chance of having your room upgraded for free.

I highly recommend the Imperial Club as a great way to experience Atlantis, because you get private elevator access, upgraded concierge service and access to the Club Lounge, where drinks and a light food buffet are available during the day (7-11am is a continental breakfast and 3-5pm is tea). All this is included in the price of your stay, so you don't pay extra for all the drinks you can imbibe within that time frame (rum and Coke is a great option). Talk about the lap of luxury!

The Coral Towers were a preexisting structure on the resort that became Atlantis in the mid 1990s. As a result the building is more or less an older, standard hotel placed within a stunning tropical resort. Though it isn't as luxurious as the Royal Towers, its convenience and cleanliness make it an outstanding vacation choice.

The Royal Towers may have proximity to resort amenities, but the Coral Towers have their own advantages. For example, the hotel is close to the casino and arcade shopping. It is the most centrally located of all the towers, which means it doesn't take long to get anywhere in Atlantis - outside or inside. The Discovery Kids Adventure camp is located on the lower level, and the library is here too - the only reliable place at the resort to get Internet access (you have to sign up and wait your turn). If you want to leave Atlantis, there's a little shopping area right outside the Coral Towers worth looking at. And it's the closest hotel to the Marina Village, where you can visit Jamba Juice, have a burger at Johnny Rockets, eat a nice sit-down meal at Bimini Road or one of the other great restaurants, and just stroll around.

The lobby of the Coral Towers is gorgeous, colorful and large, with lots of couches, fountains, and sculptures. The rooms are fairly ordinary and cheerful, with colors befitting the tropical environment, and well maintained. Many have balconies and all feature either a king size bed or double beds, although there are suites available. My only concern about staying here would be being placed on the hallway from the lobby to the library, which gets lots of noisy foot traffic at all hours because there's also a door to the outside pools and waterslides there.

Unfortunately, not everyone can stay at the Royal Towers. The Coral Towers are a pleasant, comfortable alternative. And as far as I'm concerned any place within Atlantis is a fantastic location.

The Beach Tower is the least expensive and most basic of the accommodations offered at the Atlantis resort. Like the Coral Towers, it existed on this spot before Atlantis took over most of Paradise Island. But don't let its simple exterior fool you - "basic" at Atlantis is still pretty darn good. You still have access to all the waterslides, pools, sealife, restaurants, and clubs.

The Beach Tower is more isolated than the others. Though it's still connected to everything through the indoor walkway, sometimes getting to the east side of the resort can be a hassle. This means that it's quieter. Here you'll find Atlantis' arcade, the Seagrapes restaurant, and you'll be close to some really nice Atlantis attractions - including its meeting and ballrooms, the comedy club, and Club Rush. On the outside, you're not far from Seagrapes Lagoon along with the Predator Reef and the Lazy River ride. There's a children's pool and a number of water slides on this side of Atlantis as well.

It can be a long walk to the Royal Towers and all the resort amenities on that side of the resort, but there's always the free shuttle if you'd prefer to ride in comfort. And the greatest thing about the Beach Tower, if you're a beach bum, is that here, you're right on the edge of the ocean where the water meets the sand. Just step outside and you can sit in the sun and participate in water sports (mostly run by non-Atlantis entrepreneurs, so be cautious) like parasailing and jet skiing. Get your hair braided at a hut, or buy a real coconut to drink the milk inside. Paradise is right outside your door!

The rooms at Beach Tower are just slightly smaller than the ones in the Coral Towers and include king sized beds or double beds. The rooms are cheerful, simple and clean and many include balconies with great views. Here the rooms are competitively priced, so you get to play at Atlantis and spend a little less. There's nothing wrong with that, especially since much of Atlantis can be so expensive.

Your experience may be a little different than if you stay at the Royal Towers - you may get to ride the Lazy River more often than you fly down the Leap of Faith, for example, just because it's closer. But that doesn't sound too bad either, does it?

Technically, Harborside Resort at Atlantis is a little bit outside Atlantis - it's across the marina, to be exact. But Harborside owners and their guests have access to all of the Atlantis amenities, and they have many comforts that visitors even at the Royal Towers don't get. Harborside is full of timeshares that feature full kitchens, washer/dryers, Jacuzzi bathtubs, balconies with nice views, and lots of living space.

A free shuttle takes Harborside guests to each hotel at Atlantis continuously throughout the day. Another free daily shuttle takes them to a grocery store in Nassau for food and sundry purchases. But the walk from Harborside to the Coral Towers goes through Marina Village, which is in itself a destination of stores and restaurants, and it's only about 15 minutes long.

Harborside guests may not choose to go to Atlantis at all, if they don't want to. They've got access to a zero-entry pool, kids' pool and hot tub right on-site. It's not as exciting as the water slides in Atlantis, but it's certainly just as relaxing. And there's an open-air restaurant at the edge of the water that allows take-out as well.

Ultimately Harborside is perfect for families with children. Many rooms have more than one bedroom and all have sofa beds as well. The newer units boast DVD players, and families can cut costs and hassle by eating at Atlantis less often and cooking more. Housekeeping usually only comes once a week, but for an extra fee you can have someone come another day. You can also wash your own towels and take out your trash yourself, which is not a bad option either.

I do have one recommendation, which is to avoid the first floor units if possible: on our first stay here, we got lots of bugs and even a lizard or two (although we didn't mind the lizard). It's probably unavoidable in a place like this, but kind of a nuisance.

The main drawback of the place is that it's across the water from Atlantis and takes awhile to get there - you can see the Royal Towers probably not more than 50 feet away from some Harborside units, but because the harbor runs in between you can't go straight there (unless you jump in and swim). You have to walk through the Marina Village or take the shuttle. But it's a pretty walk and I've never heard anyone complain about it (although I have heard of tourists who refused to do the walking and only took the shuttle).

Harborside owners can go anywhere Atlantis guests can go, and many of them have been to Atlantis multiple times since they own timeshares there. Like Atlantis guests they can use their key cards to buy food and pay for purchases at some Atlantis merchants, and use all the pools, waterslides, the sports center and the spa. So Harborside guests can have just as much fun as Atlantis guests, and come back to even more luxurious accommodations. Now that's a vacation for you.

Marketplace is one of three buffet restaurants located at the Atlantis resort. It is pricey, but the return you get for the cost makes it worth going to at least once during your stay on Paradise Island. The spread includes many different styles of cuisine, from a sushi bar to a chocolate fondue fountain stocked with fruits and breads for dipping. If you like pasta, you can get pasta made-to-order. If you like salads, you can peruse a wide selection. Seafood? Pizza? No problem. Bahamian specialties like pigeon peas with rice are offered alongside comfort American staples like pork chops and roast beef, Mexican dishes, Asian-inspired stir-fries and dozens of other selections. The buffet is huge - you may very well visit the dessert table a number of times.

Marketplace also serves a slightly cheaper breakfast buffet that includes all your favorite breakfast dishes. Of course you can have eggs made-to-order, waffles, pancakes, bacon, fruits, breads, and more. It's all delicious and elegantly set out, with non-alcoholic drinks included in the price.

The atmosphere at Marketplace is Old World, classy, and spacious. The service is usually excellent. It's a very popular dining destination at Atlantis, so go early if you can, especially for Sunday brunch. And just so you know, since Atlantis is always full of kids, so is Marketplace. It's a perfect choice for families because of the variety and the fact that you don't have to wait for your food to arrive.

Seagrapes is the mid-priced offering of the three buffet restaurants located at Atlantis. Though not as fancy as Marketplace, Seagrapes has some nice features, including windows overlooking a lagoon with stingrays. On weekends they do circus-themed nights, where balloons are given to children and performers come by the tables to entertain customers; this makes it a good choice for families.

Located in the Beach Tower, Seagrapes features many food choices including, on circus nights, a kid-friendly area with hot dogs, chicken nuggets, french fries, and other staples - even roasted marshmallows and cotton candy for dessert. For adults there's seafood, pasta, meats, brick-oven pizzas, stir-fries and salads.

The food is decent, if not spectacular, and the decor is about what you'd expect from a hotel restaurant in a tropical setting: colorful, cheerful, and relatively generic. Seagrapes is a good value because of the all-you-can-eat vibe at a resort that's known for its expensive eateries, and the circus nights are definitely fun for kids. One disadvantage is its location - it's buried in the Beach Tower, the most isolated hotel at Atlantis. On the other hand, after all that food maybe you'll want to walk some of it off going back to the other, more bustling side of Atlantis.

If you're interested in making the most of your Atlantis vacation, I highly recommend a trip to Mandara Spa. I go every year when I come, and it's always helped relax me. I'd say it's not the best spa I've ever been to (that honor goes to the Four Seasons in Dallas), but it's way up there on the list.

Mandara Spa offers a variety of treatments, including facials, manicures, massages, wraps, hair extensions, makeup application, and combination packages. You can get a nail polish change for as little as $20, and a shampoo and blow dry for $35, but it's worth it to splurge and try one of the higher-end treatments. For one thing, you get to experience a special "ritual" - and if you spend over $99 you get free access to the sports center for a day and to the full spa, which includes an open-air thalassotherapy pool, sauna, steam rooms, and showers.

My first trip here in 2000 I got highlights in my hair. The technique they used was old-fashioned and not particularly painless, involving putting a plastic cap over your head and drawing hair through tiny holes in it, but the result was very natural. Still, thicker highlights are more fashionable now and I've seen them using the more popular foil method lately. Since that first time I've opted for more soothing treatments, and I haven't been disappointed so far. A regular Swedish massage is fantastic, of course, but you should definitely get more creative if you can afford it. I highly recommend the Caribbean Coffee Body Scrub for either men or women; a massage is included in the price, and if you love coffee the aroma alone relaxes you.

The most expensive treatment at Atlantis costs $350: Cleito's Tropical Tryst includes a facial, coconut scrub, massage, milk wrap, manicure and pedicure, and lasts 270 minutes. But if that's a bit out of your range (it certainly is out of mine!) you can also choose from a variety of packages or single treatments. Mandara Spa offers four types of massages for men, women, and even pregnant women, and some very tempting rituals for every part of your body. A list of services complete with times and costs is available at Atlantis' Web site, www.atlantis.com.

The service here has always been masterful, although for some reason the last time I made an appointment it took them some time to deal with that while I was standing at the reception desk. I always take the opportunity to converse with the locals who provide the services, but they're also good at being quiet if you prefer not to talk. The staff uses high-quality Elemis products and will probably try to sell them to you upon completion of your treatment.

Make a reservation when you arrive at the resort, then arrive 20 minutes in advance of your appointment.