Atlantis mega-resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the region’s largest casino-resort, recently joined Marriott International’s Autograph Collection of independent hotels. Under a franchise agreement, Atlantis’ owners will continue to manage the property but will gain access to Marriott’s booking strength. Travel industry analyst Henry H. Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, said, “Atlantis’ decision to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection is clearly a move designed to protect and boost Atlantis’ appeal against the new Baha Mar resort,” scheduled to open in spring 2015.
Atlantis offers a casino, 3,414 guest rooms, a luxury spa, 21 restaurants and bars, plus a 15-acre dolphin habitat and a 140-acre water park for guests and cruise-ship passengers on day trips.
The lavish $3.5 billion Baha Mar will feature five resorts on breathtaking Cable Beach, including the 1,000-room Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, which will offer 100,000 square feet of gambling. Three additional resorts are under construction, including the 200-room Rosewood at Baha Mar, the 300-room SLS at Baha Mar and the 717-room Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar. The existing Melia Nassau Beach Hotel will be the fifth resort after it’s renovated to become the all-inclusive 694-room Melia at Baha Mar.
The 1,200-acre Baha Mar development also will include an 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, a 30,000 square foot ESPA spa, a 2,000-seat performing arts center plus more than 30 restaurants and bars and an art gallery focusing on Bahamian artists. The property also will offer 70 scenic natural acres for kayaking and birding.
Last year, Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau completed a three-phase, $410 million expansion to accommodate the expected higher influx, allowing it to receive 50 per cent more passengers, or more than five million people.
