The Beach at Atlantis

I enjoyed the whole trip, from beginning to end. The staff were friendly and made me feel welcome, and housekeeping came by later in the evening to ask whether I needed fresh towels after I’d slept in. The day before checkout, staff called to confirm my travel arrangements. The beach and aquarium are must-sees if you visit. You won’t regret it.

The beds were comfortable, the room was clean, and it’s close to the pools and beach in a quieter part of the resort. The resort and water park are outstanding, so you probably won’t spend much time in the room. But the room itself is dated, with worn carpet, a slight odor, and lumpy pillows. The mini fridge cooled food inconsistently, and the shower had a broken, rusty metal shelf. My non-ocean view looked over the conference center. Coffee was supplied with the usual powdered cream and sugar. It was cool enough for me, though some might find it too warm for sleeping even with the setting at max cool when we arrived. For a budget stay, it’ll do.

The beach view was good, and the staff were helpful, but the cost feels way out of proportion. It’s nearly $700 a night, yet the A/C was just a small warm-to-cool slider that seemed to leave the room at the same temperature, with high, medium, or low fan settings. The water bottles cost $8 each, though they gave us plenty of free water coupons, so that wasn’t really an issue. There was no microwave, either. Everything is super pricey, as expected, but it doesn’t seem to be because of the quality. They charge that much because they can, since they own the whole island. I don’t feel the money I’m paying is worth it, but what can you do?

The room wasn’t great, with ants and a stinky A/C, but the resort made up for it. There’s so much to see and do: beautiful beaches, plenty of pools, the rope bridge, water park, and aquariums. We had fun just wandering the paths and coming across something new each day. Bring walking shoes! We’ll definitely return, though we’ll choose a different tower.