Also see: 

• 4 Free Nights in the Bahamas, Thanks to FoundersCard!
• Caesars-Atlantis partnership details
• Preview FoundersCard benefits

There are a few things in life that make me say, “Hell, yes!” as fast as 4 free nights in the Bahamas.

I wrote about the details of how I did it, but in a nutshell:

• I got free Caesars Diamond elite status from FoundersCard
• Caesars has a partnership with Atlantis for Diamond members
• The T&Cs say you must book your trip by January 31st, 2017 for travel by February 28th, 2017
• I didn’t know if this benefit would return in 2017, so I went all-in

Booking was simple. I requested my dates (December 10th to 14th), booked a non-stop flight there from DFW to NAS with Avios points, and booked a flight back (with a connex at MIA) with American miles.

I was aflutter about the experience, how the benefit would play out, and what the room would be like. I am happy to report it was a wonderful trip.

Bahama Breeze Index

• Part 1 – Review of My Free Room at Atlantis Beach Tower, Nassau
• Part 2 – Exploring the Atlantis Resort in Nassau
• Part 3 – Wanderings in Nassau

Arrival and check-in

• Link: Atlantis Beach Tower

The flight over was smooth. No time for the Centurion Lounge, but we did make it to an Admirals Club for coffee, light bits, and a couple of screwdrivers (thanks to my Citi Prestige card).

It was cloudy and drizzly when we landed, but cleared up soon after. As I walked to immigration (which only took about 20 minutes), I noticed adverts for the Atlantis everywhere.

The Atlantis is located on its own island – yeah – and has ton going on. But I’ll save that for Part 2. 🙂

The drive from NAS to Paradise Island is 25ish minutes. One-way in a taxi was $40 including tip. Our driver was familiar with Atlantis. All she needed to know was “Beach Tower.” We had a great convo on the drive over.

Within Atlantis, Beach Tower is the “value tower,” so I braced for what it would be like.

We ambled into the gigantic lobby and made our way to the check-in desk. There was no line (surprising given the enormity of the place), so I went up and stated my business. I was nervous about this comped room and getting a raw deal.

The desk agent was extremely thorough, patient, and friendly. He found my reservation and said our room was ready. Because this is a Marriott, I asked if I could attach my Marriott number to the room and ahem, I have Gold elite status. 😉

We got an upgrade from a Terrace View room to a Water View room on the 8th floor (there are 9 floors total).

Then he went over the details of the Casino Experience Pass and what was included in the daily resort fee (which was waived as part of my deal).

He let me know I’d be responsible for gratuity and some sort of government tax (of course). That would be ~$25 a day.

We got our room keys and headed up, like any other hotel check-in.

The room

From the check-in area to the Beach Tower, you have to walk down a looong carpeted corridor lined with shops, a comedy club, a gambling room, and a movie theater (among other things), dotted by fountains and statues, and interrupted by more than a few twists and turns.

After a 10-minute walk, we found the elevator and headed up to the 8th floor.

Right away, I noticed the room wasn’t tiny, but not spacious either. It was painted yellow and had bright curtains, colorful artwork, and all the basics.

There was a small table with chairs, a chest of drawers with a TV on top, and a king-sized bed in the middle.

Then there was the view from the balcony, which was beautiful.

I mean, wow! You really get a sense of how huge this place is and how it’s all connected. Not to mention, the grounds and landscaping were impeccable and lovely.

The bathroom, like the main room, was “big enough.” Nothing outstanding, but the basics were covered.

My camera makes it look like there was mold in the grouting – there wasn’t. I don’t why that effect is there, but the shower was very clean.

I can see why this was the “value tower.” Not that that’s a bad thing at all.

The room was big enough for 2, and the bed was big and comfortable with nine (!) pillows on it. Everything was clean and it looked like they’d kept the place up well.

Like any monster-sized resort, the room had its bumps: a knick here, a scratch there. But nothing terrible. And certainly fine considering I didn’t pay for it!

The outlet situation was dire. There was only one that wasn’t hidden behind the furniture. To plug anything into the others, you had to either move the bed or chest, or contort yourself enough to reach your arm fully behind.

But the wifi was incredibly fast! I was impressed by its speed. I thought surely it would be a slow, cumbersome experience given the size of the resort and the Caribbean location. But no, everything loaded right up.

And, I only had to log in once. Every other time, my details were stored and it connected right back to the network. Plus, there was connectivity throughout the entire resort – every tower, and even the outside areas (pool, water park, beach) were covered with wifi. Just amazing.

Overall, a clean, comfortable room, mostly quiet, and surprisingly excellent wifi. And I loved the view from the balcony. I sat out there for several long moments and absorbed the ocean air.

Value of the stay

Being the dork I am, I ran to the room to see how much our room would’ve cost.

With taxes, surcharges, and resort fees, we would’ve paid ~$269 a night.

For this trip, I paid ~$214 for the taxes on the award flights. And ~$107 for the room. For a total of ~$321 for 4 nights in the Bahamas. Not a bad deal!

I also got a ton of value out of the Casino Experience Pass.

In short, this trip was a blast and I’m so glad I did it. It may even be worth joining FoundersCard for, as this benefit alone more than covers the annual membership fee. Here’s my review if you’re interested.

Bottom line

How weird that Caesars partners with a Marriott hotel at a huge gambling-focused property where Caesars Diamond elite status gets you a whole lotta nothin’ and no Caesars points. I wonder how this partnership came to be.

Whatever the case, I took the bait. And I’m glad I did! This trip ended up being a relaxing and fun time.

The flights were smooth, getting to the hotel and checking-in was easy, and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the room was. And in awe of the size of the resort! Here’s how I booked it.

I wasn’t thrilled with my experience earlier this year in Martinique, but this trip went a long way toward redeeming Caribbean travel for me.

Next on Out and Out… more of the Atlantis and my experience with the Casino Experience Pass, and wanderings around Nassau.

If I left anything out you want to know, feel free to ask in the comments.

And if you’ve stayed at the Atlantis or in Nassau, how did your experience compare? I would love to hear other opinions about this place!

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