Atlantis Paradise Island
Encyclopedia
Paradise Island
Paradise Island is an island in the Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of New Providence. It is best known for the sprawling 'Vegas-by-the-sea resort' Atlantis.Paradise...
, The Bahamas. Officially opened in 1998, the resort was created by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
magnate Sol Kerzner
Sol Kerzner
Solomon Kerzner is a South African accountant and business magnate.-Background and career:Kerzner was born in Troyeville, Johannesburg, the youngest of four children to Jewish Russian immigrants...
and Kerzner International Limited. Paradise Island first opened its Coral and Beach Towers as the Trump Plaza, then changed its name to Atlantis when the Royal Towers were built. The Coral and Beach Towers were later refurbished to match the theme of the Royal Towers. On 28 March 2007 a 600-suite luxury hotel named The Cove Atlantis opened on Paradise Island. Another tower, the 497-room Reef Atlantis, opened 19 December 2007.
Accommodations
Accommodation at the resort includes:- The Beach Tower, formerly known as the Paradise Beach Hotel, is the oldest building at Atlantis.
- The Coral Towers, formerly known as the Britannia Beach Hotel.
- The Royal Towers contains the "Bridge Suite", ranked by Forbes as the most expensive hotel room in the world. With the recent hotels built over the last couple of years, Atlantis is included in one of the most expensive hotels in the world.
- Harborside Resort consists of 392 villas and features a harbor-front restaurant, pool area including a children's pool with water fountains, a fitness facility, a sundry store, and all-day shuttle service to Atlantis.
- The Reef, the newest building at Atlantis, consists of condominium hotel residences
- The Cove AtlantisThe Cove AtlantisThe Cove Atlantis is an all-suite hotel at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort. It is one of the resort's hotel towers, alongside the Royal Towers, the Beach Tower, the 3 Coral towers and a residences hotel tower, called "The Reef Atlantis"...
is a 600-suite tower that opened in 2007.
Aquaventure
Opened in 2007, the 141 acre (0.57060726 km²), 200 million USgals (757,082.4 m³) Aquaventure combines slides, lazy rivers, and rapids into one large waterscape. The centerpiece of the attraction is the Power Tower which contains four waterslides. The slides include The Abyss, The Drop, The Falls and The Surge. Aquaventure also includes one of the Atlantis' most popular attractions, The Current.The Current
The Current is a mile long, 3 million USgals (11,356.2 m³) water ride complete with waves and artificial tidal surges.Mayan temple slides
At the Royal Towers is the Mayan Temple entertainment attraction consisting of 4 major slides: Leap of Faith, the Challenger Slides, the Serpent Slide, and the Jungle Slide.The Dig
The Dig is a series of aquariums located beneath the lobby of the Royal Towers and is the world's largest open air marine habitat. Hundreds of different aquatic species can be spotted in the Dig's various tanks such as angelfish, sharks, manta rays, one of which being larger than ten feet, and various types of jellyfish. The goal of The Dig is to provide guests with a taste of life in the legendary destroyed city of AtlantisAtlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
. If one observes the bottom of the floors in the different aquariums, wreckage and debris will be scattered about representing the "Lost City of Atlantis."
A Predator Lagoon is full of sawfish
Sawfish
Sawfish, also known as the Carpenter Shark, are a family of rays, characterized by a long, toothy nose extension snout. Several species can grow to approximately . The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied...
es, barracuda
Barracuda
The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...
s and stingray
Stingray
The stingrays are a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes, and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae , Plesiobatidae , Urolophidae , Urotrygonidae , Dasyatidae , Potamotrygonidae The...
s. A 100 feet (30.5 m) clear acrylic tunnel runs underwater, allowing visitors unobstructed views of the marine environment.
Atlantis Live
In the last few years, Atlantis has made an effort to host concerts and other events to its guests. In early 2010 and June 2011, Jerry SeinfeldJerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
performed at the Atlantis resort. Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
, Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, N'SYNC, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, and Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
have all performed concerts either outside, in the Imperial Ballroom, or in the Atlantis Theatre. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Gloria Estafan have participated in performances at the resort, as well.
The Marina and Marina Village
The resort features a marinaMarina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
designed to dock large yachts. The eastern side of the marina features the Marina Village, which is a small shopping center reminiscent of market-style tourist centers, such as the Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
or Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney is the name of two outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complexes located at two Disney resorts:* Downtown Disney , at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida...
at the American Disney parks
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
. The center features numerous restaurants and stores, such as Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets is an American restaurant franchise whose concept is to create a classic American restaurant atmosphere. The theme is the diner-style restaurant that had become a common sight by the 1950s...
and Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. The Harborside Resort at Atlantis is located on the south side of the marina.
The Atlantis at Paradise Island in popular culture
- The resort was heavily featured during two episodes of Damon WayansDamon WayansDamon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
' situation comedySituation comedyA situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
My Wife and KidsMy Wife and KidsMy Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules...
, season 5, episode 16 & 17 "The Bahamas 1 & 2" - Into the Blue (2005), a film featuring Paul WalkerPaul WalkerPaul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
and Jessica AlbaJessica AlbaJessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
, features the resort's waterpark and sealife show. - After the SunsetAfter the SunsetAfter the Sunset is a 2004 action comedy film starring Pierce Brosnan as Max Burdett, a master thief caught in a cat-and-mouse game with FBI agent Stan Lloyd played by Woody Harrelson...
(2004), a film featuring Pierce BrosnanPierce BrosnanPierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
and Salma HayekSalma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
, features the Royal Tower's Bridge Suite in numerous scenes. - The old Café Martinique was featured in the on-location filming of the James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie ThunderballThunderball (film)Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965). - Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (2006 film)Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
, another James Bond movie released in 2006, was filmed at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island. - Holiday in the Sun, a 2001 film featuring Mary Kate and Ashley OlsenAshley OlsenAshley Fuller Olsen is an American actress, fashion designer, producer, and author. She co-founded luxury fashion brand The Row and the more affordable line Olsenboye with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen and started her own fashion company called Elizabeth and James...
featured the Atlantis Resort. - FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, an American sitcom, features Atlantis resort as the location of characters Monica and Chandler's honeymoon. - Since 2008, three Miss Teen USAMiss Teen USAMiss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
pageants were took place at Atlantis resort, follow by Miss Teen USA 2011Miss Teen USA 2011Miss Teen USA 2011 was the 29th Miss Teen USA pageant. It was held at the Grand Ballroom, Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas on July 16, 2011. Miss Teen USA 2010, Kamie Crawford, crowned her successor, Danielle Doty of Texas, as Miss Teen USA 2011 at the end of this event. The 50 states and...
is scheduled to held on July 16, 2011. - N Sync filmed their Atlantis Concert special here in 2001 with Tim McGrawTim McGrawSamuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
. It included an a capella rendition of This I Promise YouThis I Promise You"This I Promise You" is a ballad by 'N Sync, released as the third single in America and the fourth single in Europe from their fourth studio album, No Strings Attached, in 2000...
from within the Dig aquarium's underwater tunnel. - In 2009, the 58th Miss UniverseMiss Universe 2009Miss Universe 2009, the 58th Miss Universe pageant, was held at the Atlantis Paradise Island, in Nassau, Bahamas on August 23, 2009. It was the first time back to back victories in Miss Universe history: Stefanía Fernández of Venezuela, was crowned Miss Universe 2009 by outgoing titleholder Dayana...
pageant has chosen Atlantis to host this years pageant, the first time in the Bahamas history. The final was held on August 23, 2009. The winner was Miss VenezuelaMiss VenezuelaThe Miss Venezuela contest is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela and has been held since 1952. It is responsible for selecting the country's representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International pageants .Under the direction of Osmel Sousa, Venezuela has...
, Stefanía FernándezStefanía FernándezStefanía Fernández Krupij is a Venezuelan beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss Venezuela 2008 and Miss Universe 2009 titles. She earned a Guinness record by being the first Miss Universe winner who was crowned by a compatriot....
. - In 2000, Ricky MartinRicky MartinEnrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
filmed the music video for "She BangsShe Bangs"She Bangs" is a song performed by Ricky Martin, from his 2000 album Sound Loaded. An up-tempo, salsa-influenced song with double entendres about the singer's infatuation with a woman, Martin's recording earned him continued crossover success around the world.The song was co-written by Desmond...
" at the resort. - The hotel was featured in the 2009 movie DuplicityDuplicity (film)Duplicity is a 2009 American romantic comedy spy film written and directed by Tony Gilroy, and starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. The plot follows two corporate spies with a romantic history who collaborate to carry out a complicated con...
- The resort was featured on Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
episode 8, The Bahamas TriangleThe Bahamas TriangleNot to be confused with Bermuda Triangle."The Bahamas Triangle" is an episode from the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, which aired on December 4, 2009...
, on season 4Ugly Betty (season 4)The fourth and final season of the American Comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty was confirmed in the ABC lineup, which was picked up for a full season on April 23, 2009... - Music video of Justin BieberJustin BieberJustin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
's song "Never Let You Go" was shot at The Dig.