Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort and Casino Phase II, the Royal Towers of Atlantis
Nassau, Paradise Island, Bahamas
For thousands of years people have been intrigued by Atlantis, an island utopia that mysteriously vanished beneath the waves.
Sol Kerzner, chairman of Sun International Hotels, decided to bring the Atlantis legend to life as a luxury resort set on the idyllic Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
The design
team drew from nautical motifs and elements from Greek, Roman, Minoan,
and other ancient cultures and mythologies to create their own version
of what Atlantis could have been.
The result is a world unto itself that would have astounded even the original
Atlantians.
The Royal Towers rises above the beach in an array of fanciful turrets,
domes and spires. The Towers includes the Great Hall of Waters, the 100,000
square-foot entertainment complex, 23 floors of guest accommodations,
ten restaurants and eleven lounges.
Whether visitors are dining, gambling in the casino, or wandering through
the interactive archaeological site called The Dig, the illusion of being
on the lost island of Atlantis never wavers. The natural beauty of Paradise
Island and the location's richly varied marine life is brought into the
resort through large picture windows that showcase the comings and goings
of thousands of sea creatures. Every aspect of the resort falls under
the spell of Atlantis—from grandiose fountains and sculptures to
the shell-shaped wall sconces that cast dramatic lighting in the evenings.
One of the highlights of the resort is the Ancient Mayan Temple, one of
the world's most unusual water slides. Guests can swoosh down slides of
various heights and speeds, including one that sends them apparently plunging
into the shark-filled Predator Lagoon—in reality, sharks are separated
from swimmers by Plexiglas.
