The Cove at Atlantis

The Cove is Atlantis for people who are not sure they want Atlantis. Set apart on a spit between two white-sand coves at the quieter end of the sprawling Paradise Island resort, the all-suite tower runs to a different tempo from the main Royal Towers: an open-air lobby of water features and daybeds, suites with ocean-view balconies done in calm sand-and-teal tones, and an adults-only pool scene with cabanas and a summer DJ energy that skews chic rather than chaotic.

The point, of course, is that the full Atlantis estate remains on tap. Aquaventure's slides and river rapids, the marine habitats and swim-with programmes, the casino, the marina village and a restaurant roster that includes Fish by José Andrés—one of the resort's strongest tables, located at The Cove itself—are all included or within a few minutes' walk. Families take suites for the space and beach access; couples gravitate to the adult pool and spa.

It remains a piece of a very large machine, with the crowds and queues that implies in holiday weeks, and those seeking boutique intimacy should look elsewhere on the island. But as a comfortable, well-designed base that lets you dial Atlantis up or down at will—beach mornings, water park afternoons, grown-up evenings—the Cove is the resort's best-judged address.