Baha Mar VS Atlantis 🇧🇸

We went to Baha Mar & Atlantis 2 separate trips in July 2022, 3 weeks apart. Grand Hayatt @ Bahamar and Cove @ Atlantis. Both located in Nassau, Baha mar is about 20 min car ride from the airport, and Atlantis is about 45 min away on its private paradise island.

Baha Mar is much newer than Atlantis, opened in 2017 with about 2200 rooms……shockingly Atlantis opened in 1968 with around 3800 rooms currently😳, so it is bigger. It went through different ownerships and name changes….Coral and Beach towers were added in 1998, Cove & Reef towers were added in 2007....it is now part of the Marriott family. Royal tower is recently renovated in 2022, rooms are bigger than Baha Mar. New restaurant, an updated beach tower, and an updated splash pool coming soon, another reason to love Atlantis is that they do keep up with maintenance and updating new concept restaurants and hotel rooms. ✌️

(Photos from Baha Mar)

I wanted to like Baha Mar more because it is newer, more modern, and ONLY 🙄😬 cost an estimated $4.2 billion 😲 to complete consist of Grand Hyatt, SLS, & Rosewood.……is only been a few years, but if you look closely….the trims, stair edges, and paint on the door….🫣🥴🤨😬🫤, not defending my people anymore….the Chinese construction people took some short cuts for sure🤦‍♀️. Me and my husband both return home with bedbug bites 🤕. Now the positive side…..😅😊…..Baha Mar has a better gambling setup and WAY MORE slot machines, bigger and more private high limit area.…. is exactly like Wynn/Encore Las Vegas by the water. 😊….Atlantis casino is a bit outdated. Sadly I didn’t have a chance to experience Baha Mar spa which by the way has 2 offerings…..ESPA & Sense Spa(Rosewood). Mandara spa in Atlantis in my opinion could use a little bit of updating 😬. You can see Atlantis down the beach from Baha Mar. Both beaches are clean and similar after all it is the same shoreline. 🤷‍♀️

In terms of shopping, Bahamar offers more selections, and more high-end retailers like Cartier, Tiffany, Bvlgari, etc. In case you wondering….supposedly it should be the same price as the US but without tax, but some items were priced higher so doing your homework never hurts.

(Atlantis photos)

Both of my girls, ages 5 & 11 prefer Atlantis over Baha Mar. According to them, Atlantis has better kid club, nicer counselors, more activities, and better food. 🤷‍♀️ My husband agrees that Bahamar costs a bit more than Atlantis all around. I was surprised to find tax and VAT are 2 separate charges which is weird 🤨, 15% gratuity is automatically added which is normal on both resorts. The cost of a trip is equivalent to Vegas spending if not more. Luckily Atlantis offers more budget-friendly choices like the beach and coral towers, if you want to save more $$$, eating outside of the resort or the marina village can also save you some $. Being a hopeless foodie myself, I even used the Bahama Eat app which is like Postmate in the Bahamas…..DO expect to be a 1.5-3 hr lead time and delivery/surcharges can cost you. Is island service…..😓 🤷‍♀️ I don’t recommend Bahama Eats App 🤐

Atlantis exterior structure is pretty amazing and grand which Bahamar can’t compete with, and the grounds are beautifully maintained, is hard to believe it has been around for that long. If Baha Mar cost over $4B to build, Atlantis would cost Like $7-8B 🤷‍♀️ , is almost impossible to recreate that in modern day because labor and material cost a lot more. Original Baha Mar investors filed for bankruptcy before the HK-based company Chow Tai Fook Enterprises 周大福 took over. 🤦‍♀️ 😬

Baha Mar is a more adult, couple, gambler-friendly resort, in a way it is more chic than Atlantis. I do feel like Baha Mar has a bit more sophisticated clientele, well naturally because it does cost more 😅. I love the Rosewood vibe which feels like a grand fancy beach house with a comfortable living room and a library bar. 😊 Breakfast buffet(Regatta) was better in Bahamar. I had an excellent Moroccan Lamb from CLEO Mediterranean, love the interior of Shuang Ba 双八. I do wish the water park was closer to the main building, with a more convenient ground setup and certain outdoor parts should be connected with more signs.

Both resorts offer great restaurant selections. The food honestly is pretty good considering you’re on an island. 🤔 again, local conch is a must-try dish, scorched conch is my favorite. 😋 My favorite restaurants are…..Regatta breakfast buffet, Cleo and Marcus from Baha Mar. Mackenzie’s conch stand, Nobu, & Dunes from Atlantis, for me Baha Mar offers better speciality dinning.

So swimming with the 🐷 🐖 is a thing in the Bahamas, 🤷‍♀️…..according to my dear friend Amy, the worst excursion she did. Apparently, those are not your ideal Peppa pigs….more like daddy pigs and they do eat and…..💩...floats on water, 🫣🥴….do you really want to swim with that?! So I will never make plans with any pigs, but the water does get more beautiful as you go south.

(Rose island)

We chartered a yacht for snorkeling and spend a few hrs on Rose island which I highly recommend ONLY if you don’t get seasick. Snorkeling in the ocean was a beautiful experience, I was mesmerized by all the colorful fishes and corals until some of us drifted too far from the boat. 😂 Rose island is beautiful, I feel like Captain Jack Sparrow could appear any moment😅…..A tiny little island with white soft sand and the prettiest water! Absolutely nothing on the island, you can walk front to back in 3 min. Our concierge suggested this excursion over $200/pp 30min snorkel on the ruins of Atlantis, we had like 10 people so the boat made more sense.

Make sure you book your reservations and excursions in advance so you don’t have to settle for anything less at the last min. I am seriously considering becoming a luxury travel advisor, coming soon……🤦‍♀️😊

Atlantis

-Bigger resort, bigger room size

-Better kid clubs, more activities

-More family, kid friendly.

-Marine animals, aquarium

-Marina Village

Baha Mar

-Newer, more chic, modern

-Couples, adults, gambler friendly

-Closer to the airport

-Smaller rooms

-Better shopping & casino