We stayed at this resort from Jan 29- Feb 2 and we enjoyed ourselves! The deal we scored was amazing and we truly didn't care if the resort was perfect, you get what you pay for. My fiance and I have worked in the hospitality industry for over 10 years each so we are both picky but forgiving of minor mishaps. We booked our trip through Sunquest and EVERYTHING was included from airport transfers to the departure tax required to be paid upon leaving the island ($18 per person). Sunquest doesn't mention anything about this in their info so it was a nice surprise! We had expected to take a cab to the resort and back as the resort itself doesn't cover airport transfers and have to pay the departure tax. The flights were not the most ideal but again, for what we paid, we just went with the flow. When we arrived, after 10:30 pm, we were given a decent sized cup of rum punch and there were ham and cheese sandwiches laid out for us. A good way to kick off the vacation!
Front Desk: We found them to vary in friendliness. The lady that checked us in was very slow and not very informative. We overheard the important details we needed to know from the agent next to her as he was explaining it to the couple checking in beside us. I had emailed the hotel prior to booking to inquire about a room to store luggage on our last day (there is one of course) and about the availability of upgrading our room to a balcony room (we are smokers so a non-smoking room wouldn't do). We were told by email that the upgrade was $56 but was offered at $30 when we checked in. I knew it was $30 from having read so many other reviews of this property before I booked it. I just thought that was odd... The hotel info doesn't mention having smoking rooms but there are some and we were able to get one for our stay so we didn't have to pay the upgrade charge- more money to gamble with at the casino!
We had a late flight on our last day so we were able to store our luggage with the bellman and were told to come back to front desk at around 3:30 to use a courtesy room to shower and change in. This was very disorganized. We were sitting in the lobby facing the front desk and staff that were coordinating usage and we were passed over again and again until we finally went up to them and asked why everyone else go to go ahead of us. There was no answer for this and we were told to go to the washroom in the gym to change. Everyone else had gotten to use an actual guest room so we were a little annoyed about that. They said that the people using them were taking too long, probably napping or you know what, and refused to come out so that other people could use the room.
The room: The room was pretty decent and a good size. We compared it to a Comfort Inn style hotel in terms of room amenities and decor. There was a used Q-tip under our sink for our entire stay but it was in the far corner so there was no chance of coming into contact with it. The bathroom overall was a little rough looking but really, we didn't go there to spend a lot of time in our room so we didn't care. The rest of the room was clean, I inspected it before we unpacked in the event we would need to change rooms or have housekeeping come up and clean before we could settle in, everything else was fine. If you are bringing several items that need to be hung up, consider bringing them already on hangers as you only get about 6 in the closet. The water does smell like sulphur and it is soft water so your feet might feel slimy on the floor until they are completely dry so be careful not to slip on the floors.
Food: We are sort of picky eaters but found plenty to eat in the buffet restaurant as well as at the Grill. Every dinner is themed and we were able to have a nice variety from Asian to Bahamian to Italian Cuisine. Breakfast was really good too, they had an omelete station, belgian waffle irons, pancakes, french toast, scrambled and hard boiled eggs, crispy bacon, sausage, grits, home fries, etc. I had something different each morning which I like. I didn't like the coffee at all but my fiance thought it was alright. We did end up at Starbucks each morning in the Marina Village for a real cup of coffee but had planned on that anyway. Another thing we liked about the buffet area was that they had a sandwich station were you could pack yourself a lunch if you were heading out and about for the day. The bread was extremely fresh and there were a few different sandwich varieties you could make. We didn't try the a-la-carte restaurant here because we are usually disappointed and end up at the buffet anyway but we heard that the food was pretty good there. The food at the grill was really good and there were quite a few choices. We had cheeseburgers, bbq chicken sandwiches, philly cheesesteaks, and fries with cheese sauce. We heard people raving about the chicken wings and we wanted to try them but ran out of time. The food takes a while to come out so be prepared to wait for it. In the meantime, choose a drink from their reasonably sized menu or order a custom made drink to start on. They definitely do not water down their drinks here! They free pour from the bottle, no stopper. We are very occasional drinkers so we felt pretty good after one full drink lol. One way to know how long the food will take is by how many people are sitting around the bar area. If there is hardly anyone it doesn't take as long. Also, if you go while they are still serving lunch in the buffet, you will get your food sooner.
The grounds: The pool area is very nice and there are plenty of lounge chairs. The beach area is small and the sand is rough. We saw quite a few little shells in it. All of our sunbathing was done at Cabbage Beach. The cleaning staff seems to have a bit of a hard time keeping up with the garbage left behind by guests and some ended up in the pool and strewn about everywhere outside. The garbage cans were overflowing by mid day also. The lobby, restaurants, and bar area were very clean and constantly wiped by staff. There are 2 tennis courts that can be used and looked nice (we had no time to play and also it was rather windy for most of our stay). There are also mountain bikes that can be borrowed free of charge to explore the island with. One morning there was an organized bike ride to The Cloisters and Versailles Garden and another day there was a walking tour free from the resort. We chose to view it on our own and it was a very short walk from the resort.
The area: The resort is in a great area and is walking distance to anywhere you want to go. There is the shopping plaza next to the straw market and across the street from that is the Marina Village at Atlantis. The straw market is not very big and everyone wants to give you a deal but watch what you buy- know your pricing. The shopping plaza offers most of the same stuff cheaper minus some of the straw items. The vendors at the straw market will barter with you and they ask you how much you want to spend so you can probably talk them down to a reasonable price. Everything is either $10, $15, or $8 we noticed and it made us chuckle. We had spent some money at one lady's booth and she threw in a couple free gifts for us which was nice of her to do.
There is a Quiznos, Ben & Jerrys, Starbucks, and a Johnny Rockets all in the general area if you are looking for something familiar. The Cloisters and Versailles Garden are really pretty and worth seeing.
The ferry to Nassau is right near the big bridges and toll booth. It is not visible from the street so just follow signs or ask at the information booth across from the bridge. The ferry is $4 each way and you will be guilt tripped into tipping the 'tour guide' who points out things along the way as you cross over to Nassau. You are not obligated to tip but feel crappy and stick out if you don't.
The casino at Atlantis is a decent size and unless you are a really lucky person, does not pay out very often. We didn't see anyone win any of the times were there. It is a fun way to pass some time though and you are able to walk around inside the hotel afterwards. No one bothers you. The resort is nice but we found it to be more than we would ever need for our stay and would be a waste of money for us because we spend so much time off the resort when we travel.
Cabbage Beach is a nice beach to go to and you will be asked if you want to rent a lounge chair, get your hair braided, buy some drinks (I was even offered pot!), go on excursions or buy some t-shirts. A simple no thank you will suffice and if it doesn't, there's room to move away from them further down the beach. They won't bother you if you are too far away.The water was pretty choppy when we went the first couple of days and the red flags were out. Don't attempt to swim in the water when it's like that unless you are a good swimmer, the undertow is strong and will pull you in and shake you around. The last day we went there it was nice and calm.
All in all we had a great time on Paradise Island. We love the Bahamas, the people are very sweet, the scenery is beautiful and there is always something to see or do. We would go back to this resort in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone wanting a cheap but good place to stay. We are already planning our next stay here and possibly getting married on the island! Enjoy your trip and remember that your vacation is what you make it. Don't sweat the small stuff. Please feel free to message me if you would like any further info :)
Room Tip: They have smoking and non-smoking rooms. Balcony rooms facing the harbour are $30/night to upgrade t...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
