Atlantis Paradise Island, the much-advertised and much-coveted family vacation resort in the Bahamas, is having a sale. At this resort, where it’s easy to spend the kids’ college fund on a week-long vacation, having a sale is a very big deal.
The offer, which starts today, is a $99-per-night room rate for August 21-October 31, 2011, although there are fees, taxes and mandatory gratuities that can add up to $54 to the nightly rate. Hurry. The deal must be booked by July 24. The deal can be booked by calling 1-800-ATLANTIS or online at www.atlantis.com. There’s also a deal that lets the kids eat every meal free, gives you the fourth night free, and includes free breakfast for adults. That deal must be booked by July 17, but it’s good for stays through the end of the summer.
The Atlantis is a beautiful property. I have visited several times and we always had a good time. But it can be incredibly expensive and it feels as though everything you (or your kid) want to do there is an additional charge. Returning from my first visit five years ago, I starting chatting with a dad on the plane home who said he budgets $500/day–not including the room charge–for his family’s annual visit to the resort.
However, if your kids like water parks, you like relaxing by the water or on the beach, these deals might make the rest of the Atlantis feel more affordable.
Just for teens and tweens
If you happen to have travel wtih hard-to-please tweens and teens, Atlantis can help.
I can’t imagine there are more than a few teens who wouldn’t love the new CRUSH teens-only nightclub. It’s a 14,000-square-foot space with an Internet Lounge. CRUSH is stocked with multi-touch computers and surface tables with photo editing and publishing interfaced to Facebook, a Gaming Room stocked with state-of-the-art technology ranging from the new Microsoft flagship motion sensor product Kinect for Xbox 360 to a floor-to-ceiling gaming tree with 24 gaming consoles, ten private gaming cabanas, and even a selection of iPads for internet browsing. Multi-purpose video walls decorate the Dance Club’s VIP sections and a live DJ is accessible via a touch screen song request system. There’s also a bar serving non-alcoholic drinks and the CRUSH Café serves up snacks, from pizzas to smoothies to ice cream and more.
As one mom confided as we attempted to extracate our children, “This place is a teen’s wet dream.”
Tweens have their own space as well–Club Rush. No parents allowed at either spot.
