Atlantis Beach Tower

Description:

• Housed within a handsome turquoise-and-coral tower whose fanciful detailing matches the resort's mythical theme, this hotel was configured as a semiprivate hideaway. Don't expect anything conventional about this place: It serves partially (but not completely) as an adults-oriented venue, taking pains to dilute a growing perception that Atlantis has too much of a family emphasis. Inaugurated in 2007, it boasts an avant-garde design that combines the best of minimalist Japan and ultra-high-end postmodern Florida. All units are luxurious and high-tech, with step-down living rooms, personal butlers, and every imaginable amenity. Whereas one of the two pools reserved only for Cove guests is family-friendly, the adults-only social centerpiece is a 2,700-sq.-m (29,063-sq.-ft.) "ultrapool" that is strictly off-limits to anyone under 18. It's ringed by 20 private cabanas, which can be rented by the day for sybaritic adults seeking seclusion. On the lobby level, there's a branch of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. Immediately adjacent to the Cove, and open to any Atlantis guest or day-pass holder, is Mandara Spa, whose design was inspired by the architecture of Bali and incorporates stone, bamboo, and tropical hardwoods.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010