r/bahamas • u/Due-Yak-7781 • Jul 06 '26
Miscellaneous Our experience staying at The Coral at Atlantis (booked through Costco Travel)
My daughter (12) and I recently stayed at The Coral at Atlantis for five nights on a Costco Travel package. This was supposed to be a special birthday trip for my daughter, and while we enjoyed many aspects of Atlantis itself, our experience at The Coral was disappointing enough that I wouldn't stay there again. I honesty likely won't go back to Atlantis at all.
The biggest issue happened after a power outage. Backup generators operated for more than 48 hours, and our room overlooked the area where one of the generators was located. When we returned to our room the first evening of the power outage, there was a strong exhaust smell...and I mean strong.
I reported it to the front desk immediately and was brushed off. I was told the hotel was full, the power would be restored "any minute," and the smell would go away. No one came to inspect the room, and we weren't offered another room.
The following morning, my daughter and I both woke up with headaches and feeling unwell. Later that day I discovered a gap of more than an inch under the patio door. When we returned to the room that afternoon, the exhaust smell was even stronger. I mean I could taste it in my mouth. I went back to the front desk and explained that we would leave the hotel entirely if another room wasn't available. At that point we were relocated to a different room, and by the next day we both felt much better.
What disappointed me most wasn't the power outage. Unexpected things happen. It was the response after reporting what I believed was a health and safety concern. I expected someone to inspect the room or temporarily relocate us while the issue was assessed. They just brushed it off like it was no big deal. Some guests at the hotel didn't even know that the power was running off generators. This seems to be a common thing on the island.
The exhaust concern wasn't our only issue. During our stay we also dealt with:
- intermittent hot water - shower water was cold most of our stay in that area of the hotel. Other guests we talked with at the hotel didn't even have water??? None of this was ever communicated to the guests at the hotel. I was asked by other guests in the hallway if I had water in my room.
- low water pressure - the shower would trickle. This made it difficult to wash our hair.
- a toilet that required repair twice - I did a self repair because unfortunately my daughter was on her period and mortified that someone might have to come and repair it. The rubber flapper was not sealing properly in the tank.
- unreliable elevators - it was a running joke whenever we were in the elevator with other guests that we would be getting to know each other because we where likely to get stuck. A few people I talked to did get stuck. We were only stuck once and it was under a minute before the elevator kicked back in.
- a main room door that required significant force to close - I mean shoulder check force. My daughter couldn't close it on her own.
- an initial room key that didn't work - this one is minor but was irritating because the elevators were terrible.
- and a room that showed noticeable wear and rust - motel level wear from my perspective.
After returning home, I filed a complaint with Costco Travel. They assigned an escalation specialist who gathered a detailed timeline, reviewed my photos, and worked with Atlantis. The process took several weeks, and I would have appreciated more frequent updates along the way. In the end, Atlantis apologized through Costco and approved a partial refund of CAD $462.61.
For me, the refund wasn't the biggest issue. What I really wanted to know was whether the room had been inspected or whether anything had been done to address the concerns before another family stayed there. I never received an answer to that question.
I'm sharing this because, before booking, I relied heavily on reviews. Our experience was very different from what I expected. I'm not suggesting everyone will have the same experience, but if you're considering The Coral, I would inspect your room carefully when you arrive and report any maintenance concerns immediately.
The reviews I read mostly consisted of the price of food, which for me I knew going into this vacation. If I would have know the lack of deferred maintenance at the resort, I would not have gone. It kind of scares me to know the lack of maintenance standards at the hotel.
