Atlantis - Bahamas on a Budget
The Atlantis Resort is pricey. Here are some money saving tips for
You can experience the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas without spending all of your travel budget in one place. Paradise Island has reasonably-priced alternatives.
The Atlantis on Paradise Island is a typically expensive resort, minus the quality staff you expect to find at a full-service resort. Because the slides are fun, and the giant tanks and aquariums really are a sight to behold, Atlantis is worth a look. You don't have to spend seven thousand bucks to do so, however.
Dining Options
The resort has very expensive food, and there is a selection of meal plans offered. While the "Gourmet Dining Plan" meal plan allows for reservations even at the high-end resort restaurants like Nobu, none of the meal plans save you a noticeable amount of money. The meal plans are not for the budget minded, and they lock you into eating at certain hours of the day, 2 or 3 times a day (and you might feel compelled to "eat your money's worth," regardless of your hunger level). I suggest bypassing the meal plans altogether. Instead, patrons can simply cross the street. There are a few small markets there where you can buy basics for your hotel room or suite, as well as dine at the local, much more affordable restaurants. Some of the off-resort restaurants also offer a more authentic glimpse into island life, than anything you'll experience at the Atlantis on Paradise Island.
Off-Resort Restaurants
We enjoyed Anthony's Caribbean Bar and Grill for lunch and dinner, and the News Cafe was perfectly serviceable for breakfast. There is also a Quizno's sandwich shop, Starbucks, and a very good restaurant on the marina called Carmine's (it serves Italian, of course). We didn't have the opportunity to sample all the restaurants, of course, but it's guaranteed that you will spend less of your food budget simply by dining outside of the Atlantis resort.
If you feel like spending the evening in your room, the available room service in the Atlantis is actually very varied and reasonably prompt. But, when you tire of spending a hundred bucks for the luxury of eating your conch soup and chicken while watching TV in your robe, it may ease the pain to just order pizza from Domino's. The Domino's delivery people are a frequent sight in the hotel towers!
Off-Resort Hotel
There is a good way to really cut corners, yet enjoy the spectacle that is Atlantis. The Comfort Suites is one nearby, off-resort budget hotel that I know of that is much, much cheaper, without the resort feel or the resort price tag. They also have full privileges for their guests at Atlantis. While you and your family are in the Atlantis resort area, you are treated just as if you're actual guests. The only difference is, you can't "sign" for your bill, you must instead hand over a credit card. The Comfort Inn Suites is a one-minute walk to the Atlantis resort, and it's actually closer to much of the action than are the timeshare condos that those salespeople are constantly trying to get you to buy into. Comfort Inn Suites offers a free continental breakfast, and its restaurant is open for lunch as well. Be warned: While it's not quite seedy, Comfort Suites is by no means a luxury hotel. It is a budget hotel and has had problems in the past with leaks, strange smells, and intrusions by some local critters. But if you plan to spend the majority of your time in Atlantis proper, snorkeling, or perhaps taking a day trip to Exuma Islands to swim with dolphins, then this is a good way for you to save a bundle on your trip.
Related, on Suite 101:
Atlantis - the Best and the Worst
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