Hotel Guide: The Cove at Atlantis

The Cove at Atlantis in the Bahamas is a popular vacation spot for families and couples alike. Did you know that three of the six properties within the resort complex participate in Marriott Bonvoy? That means that booking the Atlantis with Marriott points is possible — you can also earn them when booking in a Marriott channel. If you book through Marriott and pay with a Marriott-affiliated credit card, you will earn bonus points, too.

Here’s our review of The Cove at Atlantis, so you can see if it's the right resort for your next Caribbean getaway.

About The Cove at Atlantis in the Bahamas

Award nights at The Cove at Atlantis go for 65,000 to 100,000 points per night.

The other Marriott properties in the complex include:

• The Royal at Atlantis, with redemption costs of 45,000 to 70,000 points per night.

• The Coral at Atlantis, with redemption costing 35,000 to 60,000 points per night.

Don’t forget about Marriott Bonvoy’s fifth night free offer. This can be a great way to stretch your points further and get more value for a vacation.

» Learn more: How to travel to the Caribbean on a budget

Location

Situated between two private beaches on Paradise Island near Nassau in the Bahamas, The Cove at Atlantis is a beautiful retreat from the bustle of daily life.

It is part of the larger Atlantis complex, but is considered the most upscale option — and is also the newest. It has an adjacent marina for those arriving by boat.

Design

The entire resort is designed to look like the mythical underwater world of Atlantis. With so many pools, water features, activities, shops, restaurants and amenities, this is an ideal retreat for families. Just bring some walking shoes, as there is a lot of area to explore based on the variety of activities and places to see.

The aquatic theme appears throughout the property, but at The Cove, the design is more restrained compared with the other Atlantis properties. Guests arrive to an open-air reception area with the swaying palm trees in the distance. If you’re booked in a Sapphire Suite level (or above), butlers will meet you and usher you through check-in and onward to your suite.

Food and beverage

Is The Cove at Atlantis all inclusive? No, but guests at The Cove can enjoy 21 restaurants and 19 bars. Plus, the lounges at any of the Atlantis property hotels and charge directly to their room. Whether you’re in the mood for steak, sushi, fresh Italian pasta or just a burger by the pool, there are options for every palate. You'll also have the option of selecting from a variety of dinning plan choices when making your booking.

» Learn more: Why all-inclusives are so appealing in the COVID era

Among the most celebrated restaurants at the resort are Nobu, from famed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, and Fish, by master chef José Andrés. The latter incorporates fresh Bahamian seafood into its menu.

Other notable options include a Chinese-Pacific fusion restaurant called Chop Stix, Seafire Steakhouse, Olives by chef Todd English for Italian fare and the Bahamian Club for local seafood and steaks.

For more casual meals, Frankie Gone Bananas offers lighter Bahamian dishes. There are also numerous poolside outlets serving burgers and salads, plus a stand serving fresh conch.

A pirate-themed brewery serves local beer on tap. Other bars around the resort include Moon Bar, where bartenders work in front of a large marine habitat that features jellyfish. You can also drink at Sea Glass, which has tapas and table games like roulette and blackjack.

Late-night dancing and live music are options, too. Pick from the 9,000 square foot Aura nightclub near the casino or be entertained at Dragon’s ultra-lounge.

Accommodations

The 600 suites at The Cove are bright and airy, with excellent views of the beach, ocean and resort grounds. They feature king or two queen beds and a sunken living area with sofa, coffee table and access to a French or furnished balcony.

Other perks of the room include refillable water bottles, a beach bag and flip flops, Keurig coffee makers, and refrigerators. Some of these benefits are covered by the nightly $59.95 resort fee, which also includes access to various other facilities around the resort, like a resort shuttle to get around, casino lessons and access to the water park.

The bathrooms are spacious with soaking tubs, glass shower stalls and dual vanities. In addition to the Ocean Suite category, there are larger suite options with more bedrooms and living space, ideal for families.

While the hotel does have a club level and lounge that provide complimentary breakfast and daily refreshments, Marriott Bonvoy elites aren't upgraded for free.

The lounge is available by booking the club room rate only.

Amenities

Is The Cove at Atlantis adults-only? It isn't — there are many pool areas, waterslides and waterpark activities to keep guests of all ages busy. In fact, the resort boasts 141 acres of outdoor water activities. Except for the adults-only pool at The Cove, guests can use any of the pools at the resort. Private cabanas are available for rent.

Most of the amenities are spread across the larger resort complex. There's a beautiful beach, and one section of sand and lounge chairs is reserved solely for guests of The Cove and neighboring resort, The Reef.

The waterslides, lazy river, adventure rapids and waterfalls may get most of the attention when talking about The Cove, but there is a lot more to this resort. Yes, there's a casino with slot machines and gaming tables, but guests can also play casino games by the pool, too. Kids can stay entertained at the kids’ club while adults are busy at the spa, shopping or elsewhere.

Perhaps the most entertaining for kids are the various marine exhibits, which compose what is the largest open-air marine habitat in the world. Here, guests will find more than 50,000 animals from over 250 marine species.

The resort places a big focus on promoting sea life conservation through The Atlantis Blue Project Foundation. The organization rescues injured sharks and manatees, restores the coral reefs around the resort and more. The property has a team of more than 165 marine biologists, veterinarians and water safety specialists that support these environmental causes and educate guests during their visit.

Guests can spend time with marine biologists to learn about the animals or participate in activities like snorkeling, caretaking and swimming with them. This can be a great way to add an educational component to your vacation.

Other activities around the resort include golf, tennis, pottery classes, a cinema with free movies (ideal for the occasional rainy day), a 2,000-book library, a fitness center and a tour to swim with the famous Bahamian pigs.

Business travelers, social events and conference groups can make use of meeting space and excellent (free) wireless internet all around the resort, including by the pools.

How to get to The Cove at Atlantis

The resort is about 30 minutes away by car from Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport, and most major North American airlines fly to Nassau. This means travelers have several options when it comes to redeeming miles for a visit. Delta, American and United don’t have award charts, choosing instead to vary the pricing by date/demand, which can make it hard to know how many miles to save in advance if you have not settled on exact travel dates yet.