Finally able to write a review!
We stayed Jan. 1-9, 2023.
Whole family agreed that this has been our best family vacation to date.
Thank you to everyone who left tips and recommendations on this group since it really was helpful when I was planning our trip. I hope to do the same that's why i'm leaving one here in the hopes that it can help a family or two while building theirs.
Weather — was the most perfect! It was sunny and in mid 70s - 80 the whole week. The only day it rained was on the day we were leaving and it didn't really bother us since everything we walked on was covered. Ocean temp was nice but we only went in the afternoon around 3pm. Pools were a little chilly but you get used to it after awhile.
Hotel — the only problem we encountered. I booked the Royal (ocean view) through Amex Plat. We were given a room at the East tower 12th floor. Although the room was nice and newly renovated, I felt as if we were given a harbor view. I talked to the front desk and they said they couldn't do anything about it since they were fully booked and the room that we were given is considered an ocean view room. I called Amex and even though the call took over an hour, they went through quality assurance and moved our room to the West Tower, 17th floor (hence the beautiful 1st picture you see on my post). A little stressful to deal with during the start of our trip but I think the outcome was worth it. Also, this was the only hiccup we ran into and after this everything was smooth sailing.
Food — So, we are huge foodies. We are from Southern California and frequent Vegas so we are a little bit spoiled when it comes to amazing food. Coming in, we weren't expecting much. Having said that, we enjoyed Chopstix (make sure to order the Peking duck) and Fish (the grilled Branzino was so good) the most. The other restaurants we ate at for dinner were Olives, Carmines and Nobu. All were decent except for Seafire Steakhouse. I have never sent food back when eating out. I also am not fussy and would not replace anything from a menu. So it pains me to leave a scathing review but everything — from the ambiance to the food was horrible. We spent almost $300 for that meal (which was also the most expensive out of all the restaurants) and it was just really bad. I would have rather eaten at Longhorn Steakhouse.
We spent about $1750 for 8 days (2 adults and 2 kids). I bought the $1500 in food and beverage credit and got the $225 free. Honestly I think we would have gotten away with $1200 with an extra $180 free. Taxes and gratuities were paid during hotel check out at the end of the stay and not included in F&B credit, just for reference. The only breakfast place we tried was Murray's deli. We would usually just grab iced coffees and croissants from Platos. I also brought cereal and bread from back home. We'd have lunch by the pool (pizza, nachos, nuggets) and also have some snacks and chips (from back home too). My husband and I would also have a drink or two by the pool everyday. We were able to try the morning buffet once and that was good. Ohh and we also had Starbucks & Ben & Jerry's about every other day. I would say food costs are comparable to any big city.
Service — Our dinners were usually at 7pm. We were done in about an hour and a half. Their restaurants are understaffed for sure but I think everyone tried their best honestly. Also, I saw reviews regarding rude staff. We never once experienced this personally. Please don't forget to tip extra. Most of the staff do deserve it. We left extra tips (in cash) for drivers, housekeeping, pool servers, restaurant servers, bartenders and bell hop.
Transportation — Princess Lockhart is the best. We would definitely hire her services again when we come back to the island. FYI — She also has babysitting services, which we will definitely acquire the next time we are back!
Photographer — The 3rd and 4th photo I posted was shot by Alexis D Photography. She was so nice and accommodating. She even took photos of us in both Paradise & Cove beach. Would definitely recommend her if you want your photos done professionally.
Dolphin Cay — We booked the dip n discover. My husband and I did the swim with the dolphins at Blue Lagoon (10 years ago 😂) and we really enjoyed it but thought that it would just be easier to stay in Atlantis since we have kids now. It was fun but would skip it the next time we go.
Tour — The best day we had was with Sandy Toes at Rose Island. I cannot praise this tour enough. Everything was perfect and the staff made sure that everyone had a great time. We loved the piggies so much. The traditional Bahamian lunch was really good, as well as the drinks. It really was the best day ever!
We had such an amazing week in Atlantis and are actually planning to go back. When reading all the posts, make sure to take everything with a grain of salt. Enjoy your vacation. As they say, "I'd rather be sipping drinks in the Bahamas…."❤️
If you have any questions, i'd be more than willing to answer them and help out as much as I can.
