Atlantis vs Baha Mar in the Bahamas – Which Resort is Right for You?
The Bahamas is home to some of the most spectacular resort destinations in the Caribbean. Two of the biggest and most luxurious resorts are Atlantis Paradise Island and the newer Baha Mar complex. Both offer incredible amenities and experiences, but there are some key differences to consider when choosing between the two for your Bahamian getaway.
Location
Atlantis is located on Paradise Island, just across a bridge from Nassau on New Providence island. Baha Mar is on Cable Beach in New Providence, about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Nassau.
Waterparks
Atlantis is renowned for its massive Aquaventure waterpark featuring pulse-pounding waterslides, a river ride, marine habitats, and a kids water playground. We have a full post with videos about the Atlantis waterpark here. Baha Mar also has its own Aquaventure 20-acre water park featuring the Thunderball slide as seen below:
Overall, we preferred the waterpark at Atlantis for the slides that go through the shark tanks, as well as the iconic Leap of Faith slide!
On-Site Excursions
Given its sheer size and scale, Atlantis offers more on-site excursions and activities like Dolphin Cay (dolphin encounters), marine exhibits, golf, a casino, shopping village, and more. Baha Mar has some of these as well including SkyBar, an offshore island experience, and more. But Atlantis takes the edge for sheer number of on-site offerings. While we did not head to Dolphin Cay (we did an off-site excursion, post to come) we did do the flamingo encounter at Baha Mar and it was pretty awesome!
Price
Both resorts are very expensive and luxurious – you won’t find many bargains. For sheer room rates, Baha Mar is a bit more affordable on average than Atlantis’ premium pricing. But Atlantis does offer more packages and promotional deals at times. We went to both resorts on points, through credit card signup bonus awards. You can see more on how to do that here. Not ready or able to try that approach? See our post on The Best Hack to Visit Atlantis on a Budget!
Rooms
Atlantis contains around 3,400 rooms and suites across its various towers, villages, and sections. Known for opulent and upscale rooms and suites. The most inexpensive (and the only one within the point range of our Marriott award nights) is the Coral tower, which is where we stayed. It was a great location as you could walk right out to the pools. It was a little further from the waterpark but definitely an easy trek. Baha Mar has around 2,300 rooms across its Grand Hyatt, SLS, and Rosewood properties – all modern and stylish. We had to stay at the Hyatt to use our points at Baha Mar. We stayed in a fountain view room. We did not upgrade to an ocean view room – however, our kids liked the fountain view better anyhow! Every night it would light up to music that you could hear from your balcony. They spent a few evenings with the door open jamming while they snacked on the balcony.
Casino
Atlantis has a massive 63,000 square foot casino with nearly 1,000 slot machines and over 80 table games. Baha Mar’s casino is around 100,000 square feet with over 1,000 slots and 119 tables.
Stores
Atlantis has a huge Venetian-inspired Coral Towers shopping area with high-end boutiques and souvenir shops. Baha Mar has The Streetscape at Baha Mar with luxury retail stores.
Restaurants
Both resorts are dining destinations with celebrity chef outposts. Atlantis has around 40 restaurants covering all cuisines, from casual to ultra high-end. Our favorite at Atlantis was Carmine’s. Baha Mar has around 30 restaurants and lounges. Sugar Factory was a favorite with our kids at Baha Mar for desserts. For food, Carna was delicious but very expensive. Pizza Lab was good, reasonably priced, and huge portions. For both resorts we packed a LOT of non-perishables to avoid the huge expenses of the restaurants. We probably saved over $1,000 on dining expenses between them. You can see more about that here.
Pools
Pool areas and beaches are a strength of both resorts. Atlantis has 11 pools, a mile of beach, and intricate pools like the iconic Mayan Temple pool area. Atlantis had a lot more beach space than Baha Mar did. Baha Mar has 7 pool areas including an infinity pool and expansive beach areas. Baha Mar also offers complimentary beach sports such as paddleboarding and canoeing. Most of Baha Mar’s pools are heated, which is a plus if you’re going in the winter when temperatures can get down into the 70s. However, if you’re coming from the northeastern part of the US like we were, you might feel it’s so warm that it doesn’t matter!
While Atlantis has been a Bahamian icon for decades, the newer Baha Mar gives it stiff competition with its modern style and impressive amenities. Atlantis may edge ahead for families with more varied on-site activities. But Baha Mar is no slouch as a luxurious Caribbean beach getaway. Ultimately, it may come down to budget, size preferences, and what type of amenities are must-haves for your group’s vacation. We personally preferred Atlantis with kids, but without kids it may be Baha Mar!
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