The Cove, Atlantis, Bahamas
by: Tania Swasbrook
Only a 2 ½ hour flight from New York, The Bahamas is extremely simple to get to…and if booking during low season, inexpensive. The most marketed and well known hotel is The Atlantis Resort and Casino where I just recently spent the weekend.
The entire Atlantis Paradise Island resort offers 3,614 guestrooms. Opened in 1998, the resort was created by South African hotel magnate Sol Kerzner. Located on Paradise Island, a 20 minute drive from the airport (which has recently gone under renovations), Atlantis first opened it Coral and Beach Towers under Trump Plaza and later changed it to Atlantis.
It is a massive resort. It caters to kids and adults. If you go with children, you don't have to worry about them because all the kids activities are supervised by trained professionals. There are an abundance of different water activities at “Aquaventure" which opend in 2008. The 141-acre (0.57 km2), 200 million gallon Aquaventure combines slides, lazy rivers, and rapids into one large waterscape. The centerpiece of the attraction is the Power Tower which contains four waterslides.Yet this Bahamas resort has much more than just a water park. If you want to get up close and personal with marine wildlife, there are many instructional interactive activities. You can play with dolphins in shallow natural pools and learn about their habitats. They can also play with real tame California Sea Lions, touching, hugging them, and even kissing them on the nose. There are supervised underwater dives, educational experiences with marine life researchers.
For adults, there are also many different things to keep them entertained. There is a golf course, a span and more than 40 different lounges, bars and restaurants to choose from. In addition to this, there are an abundance of entertainment venues, including concerts, theater opportunities, and a 9,000 square foot Aura Night Club. The Atlantis Hotel Bahamas also has a full service casino, with slots, card tables, and so much more. There is also an adults only pool area, where no one under 18 is allowed. Here you can rent your own private cabana, or sit by the pool on a bed. There are often live offers concerts & event (such as Taylor Swift or Jerry Seinfeld when I went).
They do have an "adult only" part to Atlantis which is where we stayed. Called The Cove, it's trendy and they have DJ's at the pool where you can drink and dance at some points.
Obviously if you are one to like solitude then this is not the place for you. But if you are looking for an easy place to get to where everyone in the family is entertained with elements of luxury, then this is definitely a good option.
