Atlantis Paradise Island

The Atlantis Paradise Island is a resort and waterpark located on Paradise Island, the Bahamas. Officially opened in 1998, the resort was created by South African hotel magnate Sol Kerzner and Kerzner International Limited. Paradise Island first opened its Coral and Beach Towers as the Trump Plaza, then changed its name to Atlantis when the Royal Towers were built. The Coral and Beach Towers were later refurbished to match the theme of the Royal Towers. On 28 March 2007 a 600-suite luxury hotel named The Cove Atlantis opened on Paradise Island. Another tower, the 497-room Reef Atlantis, opened 19 December 2007. Atlantis had to lay off 800 employees to face a decline in occupancy rates.

Accommodations

Accommodations at the resort include:

• The Beach Tower, formerly known as the Paradise Beach Hotel;
• The Coral Towers, formerly known as the Britannia Beach Hotel;
• The Royal Towers contain the "Bridge Suite", ranked in 2002 by Forbes as the most expensive hotel room in the world. With the recent hotels built over the last couple of years, Atlantis is included in one of the most expensive hotels in the world; The Bridge Suite, billed at US $25,000 per night, is listed at number 10 on the World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012.
• Harborside Resort consists of 392 villas and features a harbor-front restaurant, pool area including a children's pool with water fountains, a fitness facility, a sundry store, and all-day shuttle service to Atlantis;
• The Reef, the newest building at Atlantis, consists of condominium hotel residences;
• The Cove Atlantis is a 600-suite tower that opened in 2007. The Dolphin Cay is at the rear of the building. This hotel also contains a Bobby Flay restaurant called the Mesa Grill and the Mosaic restaurant.

Attractions

Mayan Temple slides

At the Royal Towers is the Mayan Temple entertainment attraction consisting of 4 major slides: Leap of Faith, where you do a steep drop down before entering a tunnel through a shark tank at lightning speed, then exiting at the bottom into a shallow pool, the Challenger Slides, where you and another person may race each other to the bottom to see who is the fastest, the Serpent Slide, and the Jungle Slide.

The Current

The Current is a mile long, 3-million-US-gallon (11,000 m³) water ride complete with waves, artificial tidal surges, rapids, and environmental effects such as steam, special lighting, and waterfalls. The Falls water coaster is accessible from The Current without the guest needing to leave their innertube. The Current has changed only slightly since its 2007 opening, with an optional rapids water.

Power Tower

This large structure serves as the connection point to The Abyss, a near-vertical 200' long body slide, as well as three water coasters; The Surge, The Drop, and The Falls. The Falls is accessible from The Current via a separate waterway leading to a conveyor belt, which allows riders to remain in their innertubes.

Splashers

A Mayan-themed kids pool and water playground featuring three tube slides, a side-by-side slide, cargo nets and rope bridges for climbing, water cannons, and fountains, and water areas up to 3' deep.

The Dig

The Dig is a series of aquariums located beneath the lobby of the Royal Towers and is the world's largest open air marine habitat. Hundreds of different aquatic species can be spotted in the Dig's various tanks such as angelfish, sharks, manta rays (one of which is larger than ten feet), and various types of jellyfish. The goal of The Dig is to provide guests with a taste of life in the legendary destroyed city of Atlantis. If one observes the bottom of the floors in the different aquariums, wreckage and debris scattered about represent the "Lost City of Atlantis."

A Predator Lagoon is full of sawfishes, barracudas, stingrays, and sharks. A 100-foot (30 m) clear acrylic tunnel runs underwater, allowing visitors unobstructed views of the marine environment.

Golf

The Ocean Club Golf is a private 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course that stretches for over 7,100 yards at the Atlantis Paradise Island. The course features a restaurant and bar located at the clubhouse. Many professional golf events are hosted at the Ocean Club Golf including the LPGA Pure Silk Bahamas Classic.

The Marina and Marina Village

The resort features a marina designed to dock large yachts. The eastern side of the marina features the Marina Village, which is a small shopping center reminiscent of market-style tourist centers, such as the Faneuil Hall in Boston or Downtown Disney at the American Disney parks. The center features numerous restaurants and stores, such as Johnny Rockets, Carmines and Starbucks. The Harborside Resort at Atlantis is located on the south side of the marina.

See also

• Atlantis, The Palm
• Atlantis Resorts
• The Cove Atlantis

References

External links

• Atlantis Paradise Island (official website)