Last Updated on February 18, 2026
A Respite In the Upscale Bahamas
The Islands of the Bahamas have become increasingly popular for winter-weary North Americans. That is especially true for Canadians looking for alternatives to the southern U.S.
In fact, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of non-stop flights to Nassau from five Canadian cities. We took advantage of the new direct Air Canada service from Halifax to visit Nassau.
Nassau has been a popular cruise ship port for decades, and we’ve visited the Bahamian capital on many stopovers. From our cruise ships, the tall hotel towers of nearby Atlantis on Paradise Island have always intrigued us. On this trip, however, we visited the iconic resort for the first time.
Our comfortable flight to Nassau took just four hours. And with passports in hand, customs was a breeze. Atlantis also has its own welcome station at the airport. There we found friendly drivers waiting to take us and fellow guests across the bridges (one coming; one going) to Paradise Island.
Welcome to Atlantis
The four massive hotel towers of Atlantis (22 and 23 stories) have 2900 rooms and dominate the Nassau/Paradise Island skyline. The huge154-acre resort includes the world’s largest outdoor marine habitat and a giant 140-acre waterpark called Aquaventure.
A massive aquarium beneath the main Royal Towers hotel, The Dig, has 15 chambers, several tunnels, and more than 20,000 fish. It imitates archeological underwater searches for Atlantis, the mythical lost city reputed to be near the Bahamian island of Bimini. There are more than 250 marine species throughout the habitat, including those in the Rescue and Rehabilitation center for injured animals. We were impressed by the number of staff dedicated to the care of marine life.
A Brief History of Atlantis
In the grand lobby of The Royal, we met Ted Adderley, VP of Sales for Atlantis. Adderley explained that in the early 90s, the resort was surrounded by nothing but acres of bush. At the time, both Merv Griffin and Donald Trump had financial interests in Resorts International. which controlled much of Paradise Island and operated a smaller hotel/casino.
Soon after, the acreage was acquired by entrepreneur Sol Kerzner, who first wanted to call the development Treasure Island. He finally agreed Atlantis was a more appropriate choice and modeled it instead after his South African Sun City development. Instead of exotic animals, he and his team more appropriately focused on fish and marine life.
Surprisingly, today the ownership of Atlantis is Canadian. The resort complex is controlled by Toronto-based Brookfield Corporation and its subsidiary, Brookfield Asset Management. Day-to-day management is by Marriott.
Impressive Accommodations
Our large room was as impressive as the grounds. From the 18th floor of the west tower of The Royal, we looked down on the three white sandy beaches, the water park with its slides and mile-long Rapids River, Dolphin Cay, and the two newest hotel towers, The Cove and The Reef. We could also easily view central Nassau and the busy cruise terminal that hosts four to six ships every day.
A comfortable king-size bed, excellent lighting, a Keurig coffee maker, generous bath towels, and a large screen TV with many channels added to our pleasure. Slippers, unfortunately, came in only one size. And although there were many movies available on TV, they cost a hefty $15 each to watch.
Dining At Atlantis
Atlantis is not an all-inclusive resort, so food can be pricey, mainly because most products must be imported. Also, the resort features several fine-dining options supervised by three Michelin-winning chefs, and guests pay accordingly.
Our first upscale dining experience was at Nobu, just off the smoke-free casino, a Japanese fusion restaurant designed by celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Despite its noisy ambience, we enjoyed dishes like wagyu beef tenderloin toban yaki and shrimp and Bahamian lobster with mushrooms.
Other dining highlights included fresh mahi mahi, pan-roasted with fennel, and a Grand Marnier soufflé at Café Martinique in the Marina Village. We splurged on American wagyu striploin ($120) and an excellent sticky toffee pudding at the Seafire Steakhouse.
Justly Proud of Fresh Seafood
Atlantis prides itself on fresh seafood, so we shared a whole snapper, creatively filleted and prepared by chef Sharlene at Fish by José Andrés. Our three appetizers included a luscious lump crab & Belgian endive salad and shrimp mojo negro, a Signature Dish with black garlic sauce. Our favorite appetizer was the crab cakes made with 95% crab, the way they should be done. The steakhouse crab cakes, on the other hand, were inferior and needed improvement.
All the restaurants offer a good wine selection, but we were disappointed that none offered non-alcoholic wine. The quality of non-alcoholic wine has improved dramatically, and most cruise ships and top North American restaurants usually carry at least one brand. Non-alcoholic beer was also in short supply, and only one restaurant was able to provide a bottle.
Poseidon’s Table, a buffet restaurant at the base of The Royal tower, receives good reviews. We had breakfast there twice with a wide selection of tempting choices. Like many other restaurants, it is also pricey, with a standard $ 95 charge for the two of us. Lunch can be a bargain, however. Field Trip, close to the beach, offers tasty rice bowls with beef, chicken, or shrimp large enough for two people ($16). But the best buy at Atlantis is the Marina Pizza with extra-large slices for just $7.00.
A Glass-Bottom Boat Tour
There is so much to see and do at Atlantis that visitors usually have no need to leave the resort. We did make an exception when offered a glass-bottom boat tour of Nassau Harbour. The fish were interesting and plentiful, but the highlights were seeing a wrecked ship about 10 yards down and the over-the-water cottage used by J.K. Rowling for some of her creative writing.
Throughout the Caribbean, Bahamians are known for their welcoming attitude towards visitors. That is evident by the growing number of U.S. and Canadian tourists who appreciate a friendly, safe environment on their travels.
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