We stayed in the 1BR Reef Ocean Suite April 19-26 and we absolutely loved it! From the moment we arrived, we were treated like royalty. Every door was opened for us and the bell staff were so cordial and helpful throughout our stay. This property was meticulously maintained with staff everywhere sweeping, maintaining security, etc. Atlantis guests not staying at the Reef or Cove are not allowed, and the security staff definitely enforces the rules. It's nice because we paid quite a price for our room and we liked being on the quiet side of the resort. The room was always clean and the balcony is HUGE so you can enjoy nice views of the ocean and the rest of the property. The master bathroom is absolutely beautiful with a large soaking tub, separate walk in shower, double sinks and separate vanity for her, plus separate toilet area.

The Bahamian people are lovely and very genuine. We felt so relaxed when dealing with them. We had professional pictures taken of our family around the property and on the beach. With no previous contact other than an email, our photographer, Vincent Vaughan showed up on time and showed such patience with our 1 year old. That evening, he stopped by with our digital images which my husband loaded onto his laptop. He is a class act.

As for the previous postings about the prices being high, what did these people think they would be paying? The rooms at the Reef are expensive, so it just follows that if you can afford the room, you should be able to afford the food prices. We ate at the casual restaurants (because of our two kids) and enjoyed them but didn't feel they were outrageous in price. Carmines was very good and the leftovers we ate on another evening in our room. Bimini Road was very good, and a surprise great meal was at the Atlas Bar and Grill in the Casino. If you get a table by the windows overlooking the beautiful yachts in the Harbor, it's quiet and the food was excellent. We also liked the Point Bar and Grill at the Harborside Village, their southwest chicken salad was delicious.

We ate breakfast in our room with the exception of two mornings. We tried the Water's Edge and Marketplace and they had an unbelieveable amount of food choices.

The beach was warm and the sand never gets hot. The pools were nice and the water attractions kept us very busy. The Surge tube ride was a blast in the Power Tower . The marine life surrounding the property is so amazing. We liked the Dig and hands on touch tank with Starfish and Conchs. There is so much to see and do here that we could have stayed a few more days.

As a tip, the Starbucks in the Reef lobby offers reasonable sandiches/wraps/salads for about $5-$6 which is cheaper than the pool concessions. They are constantly restocking and made a special call to get more salads when the one I wanted wasn't available. They had it in ten minutes.

We will go back for sure!

I always read reviews on Tripadvisor and if the person writing the review said they would stay there again, I know that the resort, despite some negative review points, is worthy of at least try. And I highly recommend the Reef and would stay there again.We just returned from a week there. We booked through the Atlantis website, and had to call a few times to confirm what exactly we were getting. It is clear that the people answering the phones at reservations have no idea what they are talking about... as evidenced by three different room rates and none of them having any idea what the layout of the Reef was.

We ended up booking 2 one bedroom suites, and when we arrived, switched our room to a one bedroom and a studio so the rooms could interconnect with the rest of our travel party. They connect via shared vestibule. The hotel is spotless! They are constantly cleaning.

The rooms are everything you see here as described. Clean, very nicely appointed, and having the kitchen is a definite Godsend. The one bedroom suite in itself was very large. I loved the artwork placed everywhere. Alot of thought went into decorating these rooms. The kitchen had all of its advertised amenities and we loved them all. The studio was smaller, but still just as nice.


There were a few things we didn't love, like the fact that half of our lightbulbs were out in the room and never were replaced, despite repeated calls to the front desk. Also, the vestibule doors did not close, because the door lock mechanism was installed incorrectly...and we needed the interior doors to stay open because the kids were sleeping in the living room area and we needed to be able to access them. We called everyday and by the 5th day, it was fixed. We asked for doorstops to be able to keep the inside doors open, and they brought them up that day, only to be taken away again the following day. hmmm. Our TV lost sound and the picture but that was fixed promptly.. actually it needed to be replaced with a whole new TV which took an entire afternoon. But the servicemen were very sweet and professional. They saw that both of the kids were napping and didn't make a sound. The washer and dryer.... I can't believe I haven't seen anyone mention this before.. but was nearly impossible to use. It became the running joke that we were still drying the SAME load of clothes we put in 4 days before. Its one of those deals where it washes and dries the clothes in the same unit. There was no instruction manual and our first call to the front desk was quite confusing. The second time we called a few days later, a very helpful woman told us over the phone how to use it. Also, the maid service was inconsistant. We tipped everyday, and one day there was still sand and old wet rags sitting in our main bathtub. Our shower drain had hair on it. (it was probably mine, though, but I thought they should have cleaned that in general at some point during the week, right?)


I don't say those things to detract from the overall quality of this hotel, because its wonderful! But as with any new construction there are always kinks to work out and we did have a few. I think once its opened for awhile these issues will be ironed out.
The Cove looked nice too, but I would only give them a shot if I did not have the kids with me. The Cain pool looked like such fun, although I thought the rules were quite confusing. There were people lounging there with Reef wristbands (which can't mean they are owners, right? Do owners of the Reef wear wristbands?) yet the security guard said that only Cove guests and Reef owners can use the Cain pool. Oh, also, if you rent one of their cabanas, no matter where you are staying, you have access to their pool. They run $450-$750 per day, and really for that money, just book a room there. for real.
The security was first rate. I loved the feel of the Reef and Cove areas. Much more private, quiet and CLEAN. One lady threw a FIT because she was not allowed to walk through the Cain pool area. She was staying at the Royal Towers, and looked like she had never heard the word 'no' before. She was absolutely apalled that SHE was restricted to enter anywhere on the Atlantis property. The service here and generally all over Nassau, was outstanding. I was floored at the differences in service in comparison to other islands I have been to. The people of the Bahamas were friendly as well, which helped make our trip much more enjoyable.
Now let me talk about Atlantis in general. I did not come here trying to budget, because I knew that was impossible here and I didn't want to ruin my vacation by counting dollars all day long. We wanted to splurge. We made reservations at Fathoms, Bahamian Club, Carmines.... etc etc and when we arrived in Atlantis cancelled them all. Why? because when they said expensive entrees, they meant $50-$55. per entree. I knew that going into it, but after talking to people who were not thrilled with the quality of food they received for that amount of money, we rethought our dining options. I'll pay that price for good food, and I have before, but something told me that a 50 dollar entree dinner should be enjoyed without my children. And we also are huge fans of mixing with locals and eating local food and wanted to do that.
So this is what we did- our first night we went to the Marketplace Buffet, in the Royal Towers. I enjoyed it... didn't LOVE it but didn't hate it either. That buffet cost was $46 per person. And for $46, I was getting appetizers entrees and desserts, not just an entree.
After dinner, my husband and I took a trip to the grocery store. We decided to use the same taxi driver everynight we ventured off property, because then he got all of the money. If you go through the hotel, they take a huge chunk of their money. As evidenced by a ridiculously overpriced taxi ride quote from the hotel to the Poop Deck, which is right across the bridge, to a quote about 50 dollars cheaper by the actual driver the following night to go even further. But I digress. ...We bought bacon, eggs, bread, all sorts of perishables for breakfasts and lunches. Our driver stayed with us while we shopped. I can't say enough about how much we loved our driver!

night 2- went to the Poop Deck restaurant. Loved the atmosphere here, right on the boat dock, seagulls squawking (but not bothering you), sea breeze, and just a general relaxed ambience. The food was very good. Best Conch fritters of the trip. Prices right too. Alot of tourists there, as well as locals.

night 3- hubby and I went to Nobu. Kids everywhere, which I thought was funny. However, they were all very well behaved, you would never know they were there unless you looked for them. I thought Nobu was completely overrated. You can't mess up black cod, can you? It is the most delicious, buttery fish... and they over did the sweet gunk on it. And I have a sweet tooth like nobody's business. So for ME to say something is sweet, is a pretty huge deal. The sushi rolls were OK. not great, not terrible. The tuna tacos were different and pretty good. My $17 martini was decent too.

night 4- ventured to the Fish Fry. So, the deal is that the 'Fish Fry' is a long row of very 'casual' restaurants. So when you say Fish Fry, you need to specify which one. We ate at Seafood Haven. There were alot of tourists there too, mixed with locals. It seemed pretty popular. I liked it. Husband loved the conch chowder and fish. very fresh.

night 5- we ate at Mosaic (at the Cove). LOVED it. Thats a buffet too, about $55 per person. It was much more upscale than the Marketplace. Mostly, I think the ambience of the Royal Towers seemed so much more 'musty' then at the Cove... the food was delicious at Mosaic. oh and the desserts.. don't get me started!
We ate there twice for dinner actually.
We also ate breakfast there one morning and were not disappointed. It was delicious!!!!

night 6- we went to Coconuts... on the recommendation of our adorable taxi driver. We loved it! I can't express how nice and accomodating the people of the Bahamas are... it was my sons birthday and they actually had the Junkanoo band come in to serenade him. They brought themselves right past our table and blew our ears out... it was fantastic! we all loved it. And the food there was DELICIOUS!
It was local food, not upscale, but out of all of the three local restaurants we went to, this was my favorite by far. Highly recommend it.

Our last night we ate at Mosaic, as mentioned before. They also serenaded my son for his 3rd birthday and that was really sweet too.
The property was amazing... the pools and waterpark was almost too much to take in at once. I have no idea what in the world the person in the earlier review meant when he was talking about the cruise ship people. The only cruise ship people I saw at the waterpark were people who bought rooms at the Comfort Inn to be able to use the pass for the day. And they were the only two people I talked to that did that.
The scene... can I just vent for a second? Most people seemed normal. But on 'our side' of the resort there were some very strange people (you know who you are). At some point, you gotta just love yourself. Sometimes wrinkles that are natural look so much better than looking plastic. The bug-eyed, shiny-faced men, the big lipped, fake boobed, botoxed out middle aged women... I am not one to condemn a little nip and tuck but some of these people just go way overboard. I'm just sayin'!
I have seen these types before but never so many packed into one area. It definitely was entertaining to watch.

I think its wierd that the waterpark opens at 11am, and closes at 6pm. But it was a really neat experience. The lazy river ride is technically not a lazy river. There are some slow parts, mixed in with some faster currents. If you are not sitting in the tube the correct way, you could flip over, so be careful of that. And that hurts. Be sure to take off watches and sunglasses because if you tip over, they WILL get scratched! We rode on some double tubes, that was fun. The lazy river was huge! So many twists and turns.

The lounge chairs outside of the resorts (except for Cain) were all hard plastic. I prefer a cushion of some sort, but I suppose they would be too difficult to maintain. The pools were heated, which was wonderful! The pool at the Reef is so nice! After going on our hunt to find the 'perfect' pool chair near the water attractions, by the middle of our vacation we gave up and decided to just stay at the Reef pool because we liked being there the best. The Reef pool was so warm we didn't want to get out! The waterpark pools were heated as well, but the kiddie area pool is NOT heated. What a difference in temperature!

All in all we enjoyed our stay and would go back again. And if we had the children with us, we would definitely book the Reef for sure.

Ok, we just got back from the Reef ( The week of April 20th - 25th 2008) with my 13 yr old daughter.. The hotel room was much better than expected and overall we had a great vacation . The Atlantis resort is..well a resort. If you dont like big resorts with resort prices then you will not be happy here. I will give details about what has already been noted in previous reviews and will add my opinions. The Room: The room was big, the bathroom was huge with a deep tub, double sinks, separte shower, enclosed privacy toilet, LCD TV and a sliding window that opens to the room. The bed was comfy, the pullout sofa bed was comfy...very clean room. I came back early to grab some beers from the fridge and seen the maid spraying and moping the bathroom floor. The Reef rooms come with microwave, stove, fridge, dishes, silverware, dishwasher, etc. The balcony had two good size chairs with a wicker table. Prices: You can expect amusement park ( Six Flaggs, Disney etc ) prices on food and beverages in the pool areas. Alcohol cost in the pool and beach areas beer $7 and Rum Drinks $10. My room mini bar prices were lower at $5 a beer and $7 -$9 a nip of liquor. There are solutions to the big price debate such as if you dont want to pay $75 per person for a steak dinner, then dont go to Mesa Grill or Seafire Steakhouse. if you dont want to pay $7 for a beer or $10 for a litter bottle of water, then take the shuttle to the Marina Village, walk down the hill to the plaza and buy your water, gatorade, powerade, soda, and booze. The beer will cost $2.50 per bottle which is below average than in local bars. Liquor is about $17 for a quart of Captain Morgan. The liter of water was $3.00 and Gatorade was $4. We ate a Carmines which the prices are about the same as in Manhattan but the food is family style and provided left overs for two days. We also ate at Johnny Rockets, The Buffet at the royal towers ( avoid it unless you dont mind paying $50 per person for just an avergae buffet ). .. The water slides: very cool! The lazy river is great with rapids, caves, water falls, etc. The longest line I waited in was for the Leap of Faith ( the mayan temple slide ) I loved it and yes you do go fast. The abyss was another cool slide that is located in the power tower that is similar to the leap of faith but you are in total darkness and yes it is fast. Service: I did witness some rude service at the pool but I didnt receive any and yes, slow is the way of the Bahamas so be patient, dont stress, you are on vacation what's the hurry. Activities: Dolphin Cay is great if you love Dolphins and you are a big fan of Dolphins. We did the deep swim and honestly, I wasnt too thrilled about the way they do the snorkle swim (email me for more details) but the push off was fun..anazing how strong those Dolphin are . The shallow water interaction was much better and the photos cost $15.99 each but they give you internet viewing access for 30 days if you need to buy more when you get home. The snorkle mask is yours to keep. yes, the Dolphins are big and our Dolphin "Jill" weighed 600lbs. The Beaches: The beaches were not crowded at all during our week. I submitted some pictures and that is how the beaches looked. At times, it felt like we had our own private beach. Other info: Jet Skis can cost up to $80 an hour ( which is what I paid after negotiating) after the asked for $110 an hour. I dont know how much Para-sailing costs but they have it there. I paid $30 for my cab ride to the Reef and $35 back to the airport. The Bahamas Immigration line was backed up at the airport when we arrived but because the bahamas operate at one speed slow. So, relax and be patient you are on vacation. Overall, if you don't like big resorts, if negotiating prices with the locals intimidates you, if you are in a hurry, if you are expecting $1 menus or expecting to have your butt kissed by every employee, then this place isnt for you. If you want to have a great vacation and are not afraid to enjoy yourself with an open vacation mind, then this place is great. We will be back, I experienced no problems.

We decided to come back to the Bahamas after have a great time 2 years ago where we stayed at the Royal Towers. With the newly added Reef and Cove, we wanted to experience what the Atlantis had to offer.

We have two young boys so it was important to make sure that the vacation be as comfortable as possible. The rooms at the Reef were luxurious - the bathrooms were modern in design and feel with a separate shower and bath. The kitchenette in the room allowed us to bring and store our own breakfast food and snacks for the boys. The microwave oven came in handy for the popcorn as we rented movies every evening on the flat screen tv.

The pool and beach were not overcrowded as they were in the "legacy" sections and this was important to us. There was not the hustle and bustle to get in line for towels, food, etc...

The prices were definitely on the high end, but as all of the reviews have also stated, you know what you are getting yourself into when you travel to the Atlantis. The buffet restaurant, Mosaic, was a bit higher priced than the Marketplace, but worth it. Again, no crowds to fight over. The food was more eclectic and gourmet in style, appropriate for our Manhattan palates.

Overall the service was average. They do try, but execution does not happen. The first evening, we did not have any bath towels. I called down to the concierge desk and they said it would be up in seven minutes (a very random number). An hour later, they finally showed up. The Starbucks (located in the lobby of the Reef) took could use a staff overhaul. First, there was a 20 minute line. Secondly, one woman gave me change in the amount of the cost of my drink order (I have her a $20.00 bill and she gave me back only $4.00 back).

The dolphin cay was a nice experience - but not worth the $600 per person charge. After putting on the wet suits (with my kids), they threw us into a room to watch a "video" and read Q&A on the screen. Not very engaging. Then they separated us into groups and brought us out to the water. We probably spent a total of 30 minutes "interacting" with the dolphins. Although we eventually were able to pet the dolphin, feed it one fish and kiss it, it was not worth the fee.

Bottom line, we came for a relaxing time and that's what we got.
If this is within your budget, then we would recommend the Reef. The weather was beautiful and we got the rest that we needed.