to all travelers who are sceptical about staying in the RIU, Paradise Island, Bahamas. dont be!!!! its soooo wonderful there. i was there from aug 20-aug 24th. yes only a short stay but so worth the money. this trip there was my 4th in the past 2yrs. i was just there in april for a longer time. the food is great, much to choose from. the bars are great too. and the lobby bar stays open 24hrs now which wasnt like that in the past!!! ALL the staff is FANTASTIC!!!! i can go on for days just raving about all of them. Prince is my absolute favorite, but you will get along with everyone else too. bartenders, Shavardo, Keno,Deon,Joel,Sean, Keiyon,Donald..... just to name a few. they are all GREAT!!!! yes the place does need an over all done to it but they are closing in aug 09 for renovations. so please go with an open mind and have a great time. try to just relax and have as much fun as i do every time i go. by the way, i love it there sooo much, i went there by myself!!! hope you have a great trip!!!

We (myself and 3 teenage children) just returned from there. We stayed 5/27-31/2008. The Comfort Suites hotel was nice like most of their hotels in other locations. No glitz or glamour, but very nice. The beds were oh so comfortable. The staff were great, very friendly, and hospitable. The only incident I had, was that we had a few ants in our room. They were real itty bitty ants that hung around the dressers. However, once I told the front desk about them, by the time i hung up the phone and turned on the TV, someone was there to spray. No problems after that. The concierge rep for Majestic Tours, wasn't very friendly, but I chalk things like that up to a person having a bad day and I overlook them. You HAVE to hit the bar by the pool and tell the bartender "Krystal" to make you her specialty drink. The CS is super close to the Atlantis.... literally a driveway away. Warning: Everything on the island is SUPER expensive. Dining: I had a regular size hamburger that cost me a little over $7... to add fries and a drink was an additional $6.50... and let's not forget the mandatory 15% gratuity tax (tip). I bought a shot of tequilla which normally cost $4, I was amazed to be told it was $16.00 there. My sons bought a large pizza with one item... it cost $36.00. Their Water Park (like Cedar Points Wet n Wild) was an astounding $125.00 PER PERSON (food and transportation NOT included). So be prepared! The best place I found to eat was across the street at Johnny Rockets, Quizno's, and Anthonys. You can also go over to Nassau to eat. The food there cost about the same as in the states and they have Hard Rock Cafe, Burger King, Subway, and such. While your there, definitely check out the Straw Market and the Rum Cake factory. Definitely worth the trip. There are a few ways to get to Nassau, the best way I found (and least expensive) was the "water ferry". It's $3 each way per person. Nightlife: Ask the concierge desk in the Atlantis for a coupon to get into the nightclub (Aurora) for free or else you will end up paying $20 to get in. Also "Club Fluid", located in Nassau and close by, was a really nice spot. Ladies get in free on Thursdays until 1am. The clubs close at 4am. Some things require a credit card, so if you don't have one, get a Visa gift card from your local bank or get a gift card from the Atlantis Sundry Store. I traveled with my teenage children, so to save money, we brought snacks ($.25 chips, cookies, candy, and capri sun juices) with us, and I brought liquor with me. They all came in reeeeal handy. Note: all liquids have to be in your checked luggage. Lastly, I was going to stay on the Atlantis property but chose Comfort Suites. After seeing their least expensive rooms at the Beach Tower and Coral Tower, I found CS rooms to be roomier, less expensive, and just as nice. Hope this helps you all.

Everything was way too pricey,, transportation getting to and from was a pain,, you could however take the shuttle from any of the hotels to the Harborside resort and walk across to the ferry and catch a ride to the straw market. That was actually the best part of the trip.

If only you could have visited Paradise Island when it was paradise. When I visited the Bahamas for two weeks in the early 70's the island could only be visited by boat as there was no bridge. Also there were no hotels ! It was sheer paradise, I sunbathed on the beautiful sands under the shade of the Palm Trees. Walked along the edge of the blue/green waters which were so clear. There was just one area to buy drinks & snacks. I have never been back since, because to see it now would destroy my memories. But, coming back to reality, what you have never seen, you will never miss, so please take a visit to the Bahamas and enjoy the majic of Paradise Island, just like I did.