Atlantis Resort Fit For a Princess

February 07, 2010

When my daughter and I were invited by the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas to experience a Jet Adventure for 3 days, I imagined hours lazing by the ocean, mango daquiri in hand, while little Jessie frolicked in the water building sand castles and moats.

Nope.

The next three days were closer to a version of Eloise at the Plaza - starring a little girl who had the run of an amazing hotel.

The Atantis is not just a resort. It's an experience. Jessie and I raced from end to end of this wonderland, having more fun than any 6 year old (or exhausted mother) had a right to.

The party started in the air, where Jetblue Airlines and Lego hosted close to forty bloggers and their kids for a Lego building frenzy to ensure the three hour flight zoomed by.

Upon arrival at the majestic entry of Atlantis, we were ushered to the Dolphin Cay and instructed to put on wet suits. Next thing we knew, Jessie and I were standing in a man-made lagoon with Sacha the Dolphin, watching her perform magnificent acrobatic feats and ending our Dolphin bonding with a "kiss the dolphin" photo op.

Next stop - a pizza party picnic dinner with elegant chefs cooking fresh pasta and pizza for all the children and parents. Little Jessie, who has a severe fish and nut allergy, was given a designated allergy chef who would be available at every meal to help keep her safe. Apparently this is standard practice for all allergy suffering guests at Atlantis.

The kids' party was hosted by none other than ten year old FRANKIE JONAS - the youngest Jonas brother, who mingled with the kids and played Lego with my daughter (OMG!). I made sure to take photos to make all our teenage cousins eternally jealous.

Next stop - the heart of the Atlantis Resort - known as The Dig. The theme of the entire property is based on the mythic city of Atlantis - the Dig is a maze of underground tunnels with huge windows into a vast aquarium filled with ruins of the lost city, now teeming with thousands of fish, sharks and giant rays. It is nothing short of spectacluar. This is just below the hotel lobby!!

Next day started with an elegant brunch - waffles piled high with whipped cream, cupcakes, and ice cream sundaes - to launch the new Atlantis Kids Adventure (AKA), a new 8,000 square foot, state of the art kids club "designed to whet even the most skeptical's kids imagaination".

We followed a parade of Bahamian kids drumming and dancing into what is the most over-the-top kids club I've seen. Ever.

A video game room
 A Wizardology reading room with talking tree
 Fully stocked Grocery Store with check out
 Performance area with a gorgeous stage
 LEGO construction area to make any boy weep.

The Culinary Room is a standout. A fully functioning display teaching kitchen allows for interactive cooking demonstrations suitable for kids and adults. Jessie's group made elegant coral shaped chocolate sculptures with the help of professional chocolatiers teaching them the tricks. The only downside was the edible food colour airbrushed onto the chocolate stained my child's hands and face pink for a day. Can you say Pinkalicious?

The Arts and Crafts room, adorned with playful paint splotched walls, has every standard art supply and then some. But, the interactive play tables are show stopping. Using the latest  technology, these pint sized tables are filled with user friendly software allowing little hands to create and play.

While Jessie was creating her chocolate masterpiece in the culinary area, somone from the staff snapped a photo of her and uploaded it to the table. Using technology that reminded me of an iPhone, but on a much larger scale, Jessie was able to turn her photo into an email postcard and send it to her dad! Awesome.

The kids club is a drop off - so exhausted moms and dads can leave their little ones in this posh play area - and have some guilt-free grown up play time. Alas, not for me. This was a working holiday and my job was to watch and record the fun.

That night, we were sent to Atlantis' Earth and Fire Pottery Studio to decorate ceramics. At this point, kids were falling asleep in their paint. Not Jessie - she was raring to go.

The walk back to our room is FAR!! We passed a number of chi chi shops, incredible sculptures, through a huge casino, and a variety of restaurants. We made a small detour to sit in the huge Atlantian Throne and finally reached the West Royal Towers. This property is HUGE.

The most exclusive place to stay on on the resort is between the East and West Royal Towers at the Bridge Suite - which literally connects the two towers. Legend has it that the Julia Roberts Clive Owen film Duplicity was shot in the extravangant suite. No, we didn't stay there. Ours was a standard room on the 11th floor which overlooked the huge property, nicely equipped with flat screen tv, groovy coffee maker and a phone in the bathroom which Jessie loved.

Next morning, Jessie wolfed down waffles and whipped cream - a nutritious breakfast for a little princess - and we were finally able to experience the beach. But sadly, not on a chaise lounge. Once again this trip was about giving the kids a memorable experience.

Ladies and Gents - welcome to Beach Olympics. (arrgghhh). The spirited staff of the Atlantis Kids Adventure (AKA) split the Blogging Bunch into 4 groups to bunny hop and water balloon through our morning in the burning sun. Our team came second. Now can I rest?

Not exactly. One of the many highlights of Atlantis are their 18 death defying terrifying WATERSLIDES. Oh god no.

"Yay!!" yelled little fearless Jessie. "I wanna go. I wanna go."

*deep sigh*

I try to distract, and suggest we try out the Lazy River - a sweet, relaxing mother/daughter bonding experience. She relents. We grab a two seater tube and drift off happily. Until I see the sign...RAPIDS. WHAT THE....?? Where in the world is there a Lazy River with rapids. I start screaming nononononono! Jessie is shrieking (with joy) yayayayay! We go hurdling down white water rapids. I'm holding on for dear life. How did this happen to me. Where's my daquiri? I catch my breath and then a huge tidal wave hits us. I grab an opportunity to debark. Safe.

The Lazy River as distraction didn't work. "Let's go on the slide Mummeeeee. Pleeeese??!!"

Another *deep sigh*. I query a few of my fellow bloggers to find out which is the least scary. We're directed to the Serpents Slide. Jessie is jumping up and down in anticipation. I have the pit of dread in my belly. We climb. We sit. We laugh. WE SLIDE. AHAHAHAHA! Total darkness, as the raft whips around curves. I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm.....we stop in the middle of the tube and I realize the slide goes right through the centre of the sharks area, fish swimming all around us. Cool. We float gently down to the bottom of the slide. I survived...the kids slide. The killer slides for the thrill seekers are not a consideration for us. That's for the dads.

Altogether, Atlantis’s water park, Aquaventure, has 141 acres of water slides, lazy rivers, pools, and sprinklers with a ton of attention to detail. Three of the resort’s 11 pools are designed specifically for kids, with zero-barrier entries, in-pool jungle gyms, and lifeguards who actually pay attention.

Next, we head to a restaurant that overlooks one of the many man-made pools teaming with sharks and other sealife. I order a pina colada. I chill a bit.

The beach is just behind us. The sound of crashing waves beckon. I grab a chaise lounge but am told by the very vigilant lifeguards not to go near the water as the undertow was very dangerous. Jessie plays in the sand for a while. She starts to complain about the heat, so we trugde to the manmade lake around the bend. Here Jessie is free to play in the sand, go into the shallow water. I read for a few minutes - almost relaxing. But we have to get going.

Dinner. Then we head to Atantis Speedway where we built and raced our own remote control race cars. Jessie's was pink, perfect for any travelling princess. Then we headed to the Atlantis Pals area where the little girl who has everything was given one more thing - a little purple bear to stuff, dress and love. How to squish all this stuff into our luggage?

So, is Atlantis a good family resort?

Yes. Clearly there are a kazillion things to experience. The staff is friendly. The grounds are grand and immucalate. If you have kids who are picky eaters, you'll be happy to know the kids food is standard fare you'd find in any North American buffet.

But, that's the downside too. Staying at the Atlantis Resort is like living at an upscale elegant theme park. There is no local colour or culture to be found. Instead, you're immersed in the Atlantian vibe - which reminded me of Las Vegas or a cruise ship.

Apparently there are also many relaxing opportunites for adults to experience at Atlantis while the little ones party at the Kids Club which I never had a chance to test. It was with a heavy heart that I passed the elegant Spa, Fitness and Pilates areas while rushing from one crazy kid activity to the next.

Thanks to Meghan Gogan and everyone at Atlantis Resort for our mother/daughter getaway and for pampering my little princess. Now Mummy needs a holiday *sigh*