The Cove Atlantis

Stayed recently for a week at the Cove. It’s one of my favorite places but not completely up and running. Beautiful lobby and pool area as usual. Biggest complaint is no DJ at the pool. The music they had was just ok. Service at the pool was sometimes non existent. Ran out of Pina colada mix and club soda. But Charston was the best and took care of us when he could. As did Leonardo and Tina, the pool manager, who was sweet but seems to have been working with half a staff. If you’re going to order room service give yourself 2:30 hours, crazy wait time. Friends couldn’t get on a table to play as only 3 people to table and not enough tables open. Krista at the vip desk is the kindest of all. Very patient with my complaints about my room (no cold water) and was so truly sweet. They are all up on sanitizing and you feel safe. Of course I would go back because I tried the BaHa Mar but the The Cove pool is my favorite. I will just wait till covid is in the past.

I rebooked our vacation at Atlantis after everything shut down last spring and we were unable to go. I knew it was a gamble when I did. We almost didn’t go. One leg of our flight was cancelled and the hotel we originally booked had not opened. After a call to Expedia, we were able to fix our flight and Atlantis promised us a room at the Royal. After considering the risk/benefit, we decided to go. It was a bit of coordinating Covid tests and Health Visa’s, but it all worked out and we were on our way. Simon’s transport picked us up in a beautiful, luxury SUV. Upon arrival to Atlantis, our driver mentioned that reservations at the Royal were full. I panicked slightly, only to find out we had been given a room at The Cove. We had an amazing, ocean front room with plentiful space and a view to die for. Since we’ve never been, I have nothing to compare it to. The number of guests were low, so some of the pools and restaurants were closed and the different water slides operated on opposing days. We barely waited to use a slide and we didn’t need reservations for dinner. We were able to walk in every night and get outdoor seating without trouble. The snorkeling at The Cove Beach was fantastic. I had read by some that it was unimpressive, but we saw a sting ray, sea turtles, squid and plenty of colorful fish in waist deep water. I imagine some people would be disappointed to have some of their favorite locations closed for now, but we found it relaxing, there were plenty of chairs available at the pool and beach. I’m honestly afraid if we went back, we’d be disappointed at the crowds. My husband and I work in 2 city hospitals. The last year has been difficult for so many. The trip was something we needed more than we knew. I haven’t seen our kids that happy in some time. It was a gift to enjoy and a bonus to be in such amazing accommodations. It felt clean and safe (minus the few guests who thought masks were for everyone else). The majority of the staff was helpful and friendly. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been for the people who depend on tourists. I watched a couple of staff members have to graciously deal with complaints that seem ridiculous in the grand scheme of how challenging life has been. Hoping to return and see the things we may have missed.

Our family was fortunate to be upgraded to the Cove from the Royal on our recent vacation. The view of the ocean was spectacular, and the room and bathroom were spacious and extremely nice. The beds were supremely comfortable. The staff was extraordinarily courteous and kind. The only drawback is being a little distant from the center of Atlantis (the walk to the Royal is long), but the pools and beach dedicated to Cove guests were great. Restaurant choices were unfortunately slim due to the current COVID state of affairs.

I was a little apprehensive about traveling during COVID, but I was impressed with all the precautions in place in the Bahamas and at Atlantis. The health visa processed seemed a bit intimidating - but ultimately was a simple process. We arrived at the airport and were escorted to an awaiting taxi cab (there were many) who's driver immediately showed me his recent negative COVID test result so that we would have no problem entering the Atlantis property. Upon our arrival to the Cove, we were asked to use the hand sanitizer (they are stationed all around the resort) and to take our temperatures as we entered the reception area. We had originally booked 2 rooms at the Royal, but received an upgrade to 2 suites at the Cove. It is a beautiful resort- although less family friendly than its neighbor the Royal. All of the pools and beaches were empty. We were able to secure shady lounge chairs at the Royal pool in the water park very easily. No need for cabanas. There were no lines at most of the water slides- except the two most popular ones- and in those lines, we never waited behind more than 8-10 people. There were no crowds anywhere and we felt we had the resort to ourselves for the most part. Similar to other reviews, we thought the food prices were ridiculously expensive. At one point, we had two quesadillas (1 lobster and 1 cheese) for $85 US! Coming from NY, we were prepared for high food prices, but this was unreal. We treated ourselves to dinner at the Seafire Grill one night and that was money well spent. Delicious! We also did the Swim in Wonder dolphin excursion and had a wonderful time. In light of COVID, they kept families in their own groups, so our family of 5 had one-on-one experiences in the water with the dolphins for a full hour. And got to keep our snorkel gear! We did end up spending $200 on the photo SIM card, but our dedicated photographer took over 350+ photos of the five of us! A check on the bucket list for sure! The day before we departed, we took the complimentary COVID tests offered in the Royal lobby (very organized- and you can schedule online in advance) and received our results within the hour. Atlantis made it very easy to travel with family during this time.

After 21 years I was able to return to the Bahamas and stay at the Cove. Today we had lunch at Sip Sip by the pool. Enith,Tina and Cordero made our casual lunch amazing. Krystal at the front desk was also a delight. It was certainly worth the wait. Thank You for the hospitality!