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Caribbean

Palace at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
The Royal Towers at Atlantis-Paradise Island is part myth, part glitz and all Sol Kerzner

Just before guests reach Atlantis-Paradise Island, it becomes clear that this isn’t just any ordinary resort. As they cross the new tree-line, one-way toll bridge from Nassau, Bahamas, the $480 million, 1,202-room Royal Towers, connected by a Bridge Suite, rises impressively above a new $15 million marina filled with massive yachts. A huge dome next to the two towers is capped by two large swordfish sculptures.

The roadway, running through a tunnel under marina, leads to the resort’s oversize entrance, guarded by seven gold-winged horses and surrounded by cascading fountains. Two huge bronze doors lead to the main lobby (reception on the right, VIP services are on thee left), called the Great Hall of Waters. Supporting the lobby dome are eight marble columns.

The Great Hall of Waters is the marble-floored main room, with a double staircase leading down to a cafe surrounded by huge pillars, pools and cascading waterfalls. The cafe affords spectacular view of Atlantis’ new aquarium and lagoon complex, complete with sharks, stingrays, schools of fish, lobsters and many other varieties of marine life.

Indeed, if Atlantis really did exist, it might very possibly have been built by some ancient ancestor of Sun International Chairman Sol Kerzner, who renovated Paradise Island four years ago and has now more fully realized his vision with the Royal Towers. With one spectacular addition, Kerzner has created a true destination resort that puts Paradise Island in a category with Disney and Las Vegas.

The expanded resort, which debuted December 11, 1998 during highly publicized and celebrity-filled gala, is now welcoming guests, although Kerzner is continuing to develop the property. A spa will open in March 1999, and a meeting and convention facility, retail mall, timeshare units and sports center are scheduled to debut within the year.

Public Areas

Kerzner’s Royal Towers is particularly notable for its casino, aquariums with 100,000 marine creatures and waterscape complete with pools and a waterslide complex. The 100,000-square-foot entertainment complex/casino, guarded at the two main entrances by large sculptures created by Dale Chihuly, is surrounded by a series of restaurant and bars. (The old casino is being turned into meeting and convention space).

Large windows provide light throughout the casino, and two huge glass sculptures by Chihuly - the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon - dominate the room, which contains 1,100 slot machines and 80 gaming tables. The casino leads to a new Crystal Court shopping complex, and Atlantis’ Coral Towers and Beach Tower.

Key to the Royal Tower’s success is the perpetuation of the Atlantis myth. A passageway to the right of the cafe in the Great Hall of Waters leads to the Dig, a labyrinth of tunnels and aquariums that purports to show the newly discovered "relics" of Atlantis. A wide variety of marine life - including lobsters, lion, scorpion and angel fish; luminous jellyfish; and even piranhas - frolic in aquarium filled with broken ceramics, pillars and sculptures. There’s a bar next to the piranha exhibit and a touch tank where guests can handle sea urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers. Visitors who navigate through the 15 rooms of the Dig, accompanied by "guides" who are quick to relate the Atlantis legend, and end up outside in the waterscape complex.

The waterscape is twice the size of the one Kerzner opened two years ago. The highly landscaped and theme area has five swimming pools, including one for the kids. But the most visible attraction is a replica Mayan Temple. The praying in this place of worship comes from prospective candidates willing to brave the Leap of Faith waterslide, a near-vertical, 60-foot drop that zips adults and older children through a Plexiglas tunnel surrounded by a shark aquarium.

Less adventuresome guests can take a rubber tube down a slide through the interior of the Mayan Temple, which also ends up in a Plexiglas tunnel going through the shark tank. Those even less adventuresome can watch sliding guests through a viewing aquarium. Two other fast-paced waterslides are on the other side of the Mayan Temple, and other, slightly less-demanding slides are located around the complex, along with hot tubs and wading pools for kids. Two bridges lead across the lagoon to the original waterscape, which features even more pools, a river-rafting ride and waterslides.

For shoppers, the Royal Towers has all types of Atlantis memorabilia, but it also features upscale merchandise at its Crystal Court complex just off the casino and elsewhere in the main lobby. Outlets exist for Nicole Miller, Gucci, Cartier, Versace and Ferragamo. Other upscale vendors sell jewelry and Cuban cigars.

Accommodations

The Royal Towers has a number of room and suite categories, all the way up to the 5,000 square foot Bridge Suite, a 10-room complex that spans the Royal Towers. The Imperial Club category of 128 suites is accessed by high-speed elevators, and offers daily newspapers, magazines, flowers and four complimentary food services each day.

The Royal Tower’s standard rooms provide comfortable accommodations for guests, when they are not out enjoying the gaming and aquatic playground. Rooms feature a king-size bed, an easy chair, two chairs and a table, a bureau with cable TV and minibar, and a phone with a messaging system. A large double-doored closet contains an iron and ironing board, and a safe. One closet door has a full-length mirror.

Bathrooms have green-marble sinks, a wall-size mirror, hair dryer, Neutrogena toiletries and separate toilet area. A sliding door opens onto a French balcony overlooking the waterscape and ocean, or the marina and Nassau. Decor is simple but follows the Atlantis theme, with seashells and fish carved into wooden furniture, and blue and gold carpet in the hallways depicting sea horses and other marine life.

Dining

The Marketplace, the airy main restaurant at the Royal Towers, offers extensive buffets for breakfast and dinner. For example, breakfast choices run from individually prepared omelettes to waffles and pancakes, even mussels, shrimp and small breakfast pizzaz. Restaurants and bars in the casino include Five Twins, an upscale eatery for dinner that overlooks the marina; Bacarrat Bar, next to the blackjack tables; Atlas Bar & Grill, a sports bar with views of the marina that serves hamburgers, sandwiches and lighter fare (though not necessarily lighter prices); and Dragons, with live bands in the evening and a small dance floor.