My husband, 14-year old son and I recently returned from a one-week trip to the Atlantis. We were very excited about this trip, having extensively gone through their website. Unfortunately, the main feeling we returned with was "rip-off".
The ground are indeed spectacular, and I have never seen anything to compare with them. The walk-through aquariums are fascinating, as are the various lagoons with sharks, mantas and other large sea creatures. The pools are beautiful, and there are so many from which to choose. Each chaise lounge is equipped with a movable awning, so you can choose whether to sunbathe or stay in the shade. However, the beach is mediocre – it’s relatively small, and there is neither shade nor any pretty palapas, etc., as you find in Punta Cana. The water was rough (the red flags were up most of the days we were there).
Arrival: My husband, 14-year old son and I recently returned from a one-week trip to the Atlantis. We were very excited about this trip, having extensively gone through their website. Unfortunately, the main feeling we returned with was "rip-off". The ground are indeed spectacular, and I have never seen anything to compare with them. The walk-through aquariums are fascinating, as are the various lagoons with sharks, mantas and other large sea creatures. The pools are beautiful, and there are so many from which to choose. Each chaise lounge is equipped with a movable awning, so you can choose whether to sunbathe or stay in the shade. However, the beach is mediocre – it’s relatively small, and there is neither shade nor any pretty palapas, etc., as you find in Punta Cana. The water was rough (the red flags were up most of the days we were there). The resort has several different buildings, which are all connected. We stayed in the Coral Towers, which is a step down from the Royal Towers, but an upgrade from the Beach Tower, which is pretty far from everything. There’s also the Cove, which is the highest level, very, very expensive.
Check in was pretty efficient, although our room wasn’t available when we got there around 3 PM. So, we went to Murray’s Deli for some lunch. Our first glimpse of the high prices was here, where a modest lunch for the three of us ran about $75.
Room:
OK. So, we get to our room. Our room was $670/night (no kidding; it may have been higher than usual because it was Easter week). The room was not large, and it had two double beds (not queen size), 2 chairs, a small round table, an armoire/TV/room minibar frig and a nightstand. I have been in Holiday Inns that provided larger, more comfortable rooms. There was a small balcony with 2 chairs, and the view was beautiful in one direction. The closet did have a lot of nice wooden hangars. The bathroom was pretty standard; it had a blow dryer, but did not have a magnifying mirror. Overall, the room was disappointing.
Casino:
My husband gambled a lot, but he didn’t get comped – you have to bet $50/hand on average to get comped. The casino was very clean, and though they allowed smoking, it didn’t get smoky. One odd thing was that the high-bet tables ($500/hand) were out in the open (not that we were playing them!).
Food:
The food was, in general, astronomically priced, and I heard many, many people complaining/ commenting on it. I understand food prices are up and they have to import everything, but this was ridiculous. For example, the breakfast buffets cost $86 for the three of us. We often went to some little shops across the street for breakfast, and a few dinners too. (Anthony’s and Gio something both had good food at more reasonable prices). We did have one fantastic meal at Carmines; we go to one of the New York City Carmines, and the one at the Atlantis was very similar to the original. A major disappointment was the Seafire Steakhouse. We have been in Ruths Chris, Mortons and Ben Benson’s steakhouses, so we have a basis of comparison. The Seafire not only cost about $70 more, but the steak quality was comparable to Outback. The mashed potatoes tasted like they were made from instant powdered potatoes. (The ambience at least was beautiful).
Water Park:
The water park was good. They do have the Current, which is a mile-long lazy river, except it’s not lazy. Picture a lazy river combined with a Roaring Rapids ride and a wave pool, and that’s what you get – it was the best part of the whole hotel, and just so much fun! Although the place was mobbed, we never had a problem getting a tube, and the staff was wonderful and helpful. The slides are great if you don’t mind waiting; it took about an hour to get on one of the slides at Power Tower. It really was a great slide, but not worth the wait.
Overall:
Overall, I would never go back to the Atlantis. You just don’t get your money’s worth. The best way to see it is to get a day pass from a cruise ship. I would much rather go back to the Sol Melina in Punta Cana, which has spacious rooms, good food, gorgeous beach and is all inclusive – a far better value for the money.