As we left New Jersey the snow was starting to fall at a good clip. We were all praying that our flight would get out. It did we were the last flight out of Newark before a major storm hit. In 3 hours we were landing in the beautiful sunshine and warmth. We had never been to the Atlantis before and I had read good and bad reports. I am always the optimist, need to see for myself. Upon arrival we were told to go to the Sun Lounge to check in. The local residents who worked at the resort were some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. Bright smiles, big Hellos. At check in we were told we will be staying in the Imperial Lounge (section) in the Royal Towers. A woman took us up to our room and all I can say was "WOW". We had a fantastic view of the grounds and a balcony with table and chairs. My group was my daughter (30), my sister and her daughter (16). The sun was shinning and the pool was calling. For the next 4 days we did nothing but enjoy the surroundings and the sun, while our husbands were shoveling snow.
I would definately go back to the Atlantis. It really was everything I hoped it would be. I will say though the food at the high end restaurants were NYC priced but the meals were very good.
I am sorry for the people who write such bad reports about the city of Nassau and the cab rides. That is how it is in some of the islands, not everyone has the luxuries we have of living in the United States.
All I know is that when the next winter storm heads east I think I am heading back to the Atlantis. Actually my husband and I turn 60 next year and we are getting a big group together and plan to spend a long weekend there.

I had to attend a 3 day/4 night meeting at the Atlantis in mid-February. One member of my group booked through the meeting sponsor's travel agent but I decided to use the special sale rates advertised on The Atlantis website. Ultimately the prices were about the same ($352 vs $329 per night) and I received no better/no worse room than other attendees. However, all of us had the same additional charges which result in rooms actually costing just short of $500/night. To be fair these charges are in the fine print but!

I grant that the resort itself is very clean and well maintained and certainly costly to operate with the large aquariums and pools but for $500 a night I would expect some real luxury. The public areas were generally over the top but the rooms were just nice rooms. When you add in the costs of meals (invariably expensive), entertainmment, and additional activities it gets to be a very expensive vacation. And virtually everything at Atlantis is extra. Want a mini refrigerator in your room--$15/day; rollaway bed if your party is larger than 4--another $15/day.

And don't forget that once on Paradise Island you are somewhat trapped. Going into Nassau proper involves a tax ride ($10+ each way) or a water taxi ride ($6/person round trip) which involves about a half mile hike and when we were there was virtually impossible due to construction. A hike over the bridge is a strenuous but not impossible task.

Want wi-fi? It's a mere $20/day altough I was advised you could use free wi-fi in the lobby area and at the pools. Couldn't receive free wi-fi in the meeting rooms.

There are some great restaurants but as I said above, invariably expensive. Most of our meals were banquet style with the group and better than average. We sampled sushi and sake at the Nobu in the casino and have to say that it was very good. On the other hand the hamburgers at the Dive In in the pool area were very mediocre and grossly over-priced for the quality.

If you have kids and can afford it, The Atlantis can probably be a very vacation. The activities are all right there and there is little in Nassau tself that the kids would really care for.

Be forwarned. Throughout most of the Bahamas, an automatic 18% gratuity is added to virtually all meals and hotel rooms; even simple hamburgers or a beer. How much of this actually filters through to the employees I don't know but don't over tip.

To confirm a comment by reviewer Snooge42, the Bahamians are extremely friendly. This is true regardless of where you stay or what you are doing and is especially true in the Family Islands.

My husband and I took advantage of a Delta Vacations Presidents Day weekend special and paid a little extra to stay at the Royal Towers. This was a good move, as it is as close to "centrally located" as it gets at a property as ginormous as Atlantis. As other reviewers reported, we were immediately offered an upgrade at check-in which put us on a higher floor with a beautiful view of the waterway between Atlantis and downtown Nassau. We did notice a very slight moldy smell when we first walked in, but this was not an issue at all during our stay. Otherwise the room was beautiful. However, the sliding door to our balcony didn't work, but because our stay was so short we didn't bother reporting it. We did have one MAJOR issue in our room: On the last night, our in-room safe would not work. Luckily, we discovered this around 6 pm. When we reported it in the lobby, we were relieved (though surprised) that the person we asked didn't seem surprised and knew immediately whom to call. Long story short: several people came and were unable to open the safe. Finally, an on-property locksmith was called and successfully opened the safe, which contained our passports which we needed to get on our flight the next morning. We were glad we reported the problem immediately. Because the locksmith was going to get off work at 8 pm, I shudder to think what could have happened, given the gauntlet of people we had to go through to get to the locksmith. Had this happened the next morning, we would have been screwed and missed our flight.

On a positive note, we successfully negotiated the potential exorbitant food charges many have reported. We took our own stash of nuts, chips, granola bars, etc., so the only charges we had on our bill at check-out were for our regular meals: 2 dinners at Mesa Grill to be exact. We did not eat lunch during our stay, but instead took the ferry into Nassau and ate at the breakfast buffet at the very cool old Colonial Hilton -- saved us a lot of money. Also, a BIG TIP on getting a Mesa Grill reservation: Call the Atlantis dining reservations 1-800 number, NOT the restaurant directly. We didn't know this and by the time we figured it out, it was too late -- so we got to Mesa Grill the minute it opened and ate at the bar. EXCELLENT FOOD -- WORTH IT!!

All in all, we had a great time. My hubby did encounter an extremely rude staff member at the water park, but everyone else was nice. Will go back for a longer trip next time.

For a one-day business trip I got an eye and nose fill. First of all I must compliment the locals who are just the most friendly people you can imagine--and believably genuine. However the new airport experience wasn't pleasant as the immigration line was enormous and the "cab" ride to the hotel included what I call the "Cuba Equivalent" of vehicles that may or may not get you to the hotel. Choose something that looks at least new. Then you have to travel through downtown Nassau when there are the visitors from four huge cruise ships--another not fun experience. The facility is just beautiful but almost overwhelming. Visitors have to tromp through the smelly casino to get from place to place. A strange mix of high rollers and families with many children make this for an unusual experience. The breakfast croissants appeared to be left over from the previous day while my dinner in the Bahamian included a large slice of swordfish that didn't make it off the grill the first time. The ride back to the airport was just as unsettling.