Cove Atlantis, poolside

The 600-suite hotel opened March 28, part of a US$1-billion expansion, bringing the number of rooms at Atlantis to nearly 3,000. Atlantis covers three-quarters of Paradise Island, a 325-hectare island just off the capital, Nassau.

Set apart from three interconnected hotel towers, the Cove has an adult-only swimming pool, a nightclub-inspired cabana area, and sleek interiors with lighting and music that shift throughout the day to capture different moods.

``The idea here was could you have a level of privacy and sophistication and still enjoy the amenities of Atlantis,” says John Conway, the Cove’s general manager.

The suites overlooking the ocean range from US$735 a night to $15,000 for the penthouse, including a private maid and butler. (Rates are lower at the Atlantis, Paradise Island.)

Amenities at the Cove include celebrity chef Bobby Flay's first Mesa Grill restaurant outside the U.S.; and a new 3,000-square-metre spa offering manicures with a copper-hued Essie nail polish currently available only at the Cove.

Playful new additions at the resort, including a swim-with-dolphins attraction and a water park called Aquaventure, keep up the theme of Atlantis as a fantasy land, modelled on the legendary lost continent.

Atlantis is billing Aquaventure as one of the largest water-themed attractions in the world. The park includes a 1 1/2-kilometre river ride and a 35-metre tower with four water slides.

Aquaventure is an addition to the resort's original waterscape, which includes saltwater lagoons, pools and aquariums that are home to more than 50,000 marine animals.