The Cove at Atlantis

We first visited The Cove 18 years ago (possibly only been built for a year then?) on our honeymoon and we have just returned from a family holiday with our teenagers. The lobby and communal areas were as perfectly maintained as when they were new but were somehow more beautiful this time round as everything has grown and plants and trees are now established . The Reef was just being built when we were there 18 years ago, and was a nice addition to have this time with the 2 pools. The Cove pool was shut for refurbishment but this made no difference to our stay. We walked for miles around the resort and saw the Junkanoo parade. The rooms were great but a little tired and I felt that the rooms at Atlantis the Palm Imperial Club are actually better than these Cove rooms for a quarter of the price. Saying that we only booked The Royal Tower and held out for an upgrade which was a bargain compared the advertised 3 night rate of £10k! Good and staff are fantastic as are the marine animals. Biggest bonus is the beach, snorkelling and clear water.

No aspect of the Cove could justify the exorbitant prices. The staff was only moderately attentive, not proactively going out of their way to pamper guests and deliver a distinguished VIP experience. The rooms were ok, but lacked basic items like products in the fridge and servibar, basic toilettries (cotton swabs), robes, extra linens for pullout. Turn down did not even include a gratuitous chocolate. Besides policing room #s upon entry to the Lapis lounge, "concierge" staff was not helpful at all and not even courteous. I was sent back to my room to change my floor length dress because the concierge lady "could see the [1 piece] bathing suit underneath". At not point did I meet a hostess for helpful information on how to navigate the Cove's amenities, nor did I even get a map. I was not even escorted to my room upon checkin. The beach had insufficient chairs, and nearly no staff available. You could not even eat on the beach. Guests were directed to the Grill for food, and the Grill had no available seating, and extremely long delays. Check in for Dinner at FISH was bizarre too. We were told our 10 guests did not fit comfortably at any 1 table so we should split into 2 groups. When we pointed out that smaller tables could be adjoined to accomodate us they said "we need those small tables for 2-person parties". At the Steakhouse, our party was actually seated, at a 6 person table. Overall, it was a #surreallysubpar experience, especially considering the rates everywhere you go. On a positive note, the shops were great, the views were phenomenal, the beach is great-- Caribbean style. The Cove adult pool was not crowded. The slides were relatively easy to access.

On balance, a great vacation. But soooo inconsistent. The breakfast at the Perch is horrible. The pillows are uncomfortable. But the room (indigo suite) was amazing, as was the pool time at the Colonnade at the Baths. Staff were top notch. Nobu and Fish were both amazing.

We met up with 10 other couples for a birthday party weekend. When we heard about the Cove pool being closed, we were disappointed. I can saw that Atlantis and The Cove did a really nice job with setting up the Colonnade pool and cabanas exclusively for adult Cove guests. I was able to see the renovations being done at the old Cove pool from my balcony. Everything is gone! I can only imagine how amazing the next version is going to be in 7ish months. Everything about Atlantis is magical. The 10 couples ranged wildly in age and we all found our fun. The food was amazing, the casino was a blast, and the slides / not so lazy river are the icing on the cake.

I don’t usually post reviews, but I need to leave an honest review seeing all the craziness posted recently, We visited May 9th-15th for our engagement trip. Incredibly beautiful property anywhere you go. My fiancé and I have travelled the world and the Cove was truly exceptional. I’ll list some honest pro’s and con’s. PROS- Yes, the usual adults only pool is under construction, however they have a pool directly to the left as you exit as a supplementary adults only pool which is bigger, has more seating, and is strictly for Cove guests (we saw adult guests staying at the Royal turned away due to their wrist bands) so you are not missing out on anything. No kids, only cove guests in a massive pool with quick drink & food service was always available. Water slides are available all day. Some reviews we read said the slides have been closed the whole duration of their vacation; its untrue. The slides run at different times throughout the day. The ruins sides open early and the shark ruin slides open around 2-3pm. You can do them all in one day with proper planning; keep an eye on the signs which show what’s open. Please ask the staff about opening times, staff are very helpful and friendly. Rapids river is almost always open unless they are re-pumping the tubes which doesn’t take more than and hour. Food is incredible. We dined on the resort as well as the Marina and we had an amazing time every time. FYI the Marina restaurants will take more time to serve as they get busy, but its well worth the wait! NOBU in the casino and FISH in the lobby are a can’t miss! CONS- If you enjoy sitting on the balcony from 8am-12pm you will hear construction noises from the reno happening at the adults pool. It can be disruptive if you enjoy peace on the balcony in the morning. If you’re out the door to the main resort by 8am, you won’t hear a thing. Our room was pointed at the private beach and it was quite loud in the mornings, only if you are sitting or have the balcony door open. There will be about 2-4 power outages in the morning; we assumed it was due to the construction. They last a few seconds so its not a big deal, however if you are relying on the Cove wifi for business meetings/ calls in the morning it will cause a problem. The wifi will cut out for 10-20 minutes every time there is a power outage. Also the elevators also did stop working during the outages which only lasted a few minutes, but be advised. I’m sure we will return, however we’ll likely wait for the construction to end before booking again.