NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS, 6/19/99/- 6/22/99

Recently, I had the opportunity to enjoy a weekend in Nassau on a FAM, familiarization trip. FAM’s are opportunities for travel agents to visit destinations and tour the facilities of the local hotels. Our accommodations were at the luxurious, all-inclusive resort, Sandals on Cable Beach.

Sandals is for couples only, with the majority of guests on their honeymoon. My room had the yummist bed I have ever slept in. A was a high, king size with a lacy canopy, and 400 count sheets. Upon check in, you are given a kit including shampoo, conditioner, aloe vera gel for those sunburns, and body cream. These were not cheesy little samples, but the kind you would rather save and give as a gift.

Normally on a FAM, we spend our entire time visiting hotels, but on this trip we had a full day to enjoy as we please. I chose to shop in the straw markets in the morning, and then indulge around the fabulous pool at Sandals. Sandals has a full spa to cater to all your favorite treatments. I booked myself a mud wrap. The rest of the weekend was work.

Our first hotel inspection was at the Clarion. Located on the South side of the island this hotel is best for avid golfers and divers. Take the all-inclusive plan as well, for there is nothing else on this side of the island. The hotel is on 195 acres including the 18 hole course. The rooms are in 2 sections, the beach and the golf course. Definitely pay the small extra for the ocean view rooms. These rooms also have all the extra amenities such as hair dryers, coffee machines, irons and boards, and jetted tubs. The king bed was so high that a step box was provided to help you to get into bed. The hotel has to continually bring sand in to the beach, since it washes away with the strong waves. I would not recommend this beach for swimming, stay in the pool. Stuart’s Cove dive center is part of the premises, and is rated one of the top 5 centers in the world. The layout is so scenic, it is used for background on a lot of movies.

We visited three hotels on Paradise Island. The Atlantis was without a doubt awesome !!. It’s a fantasy world for young and old. Visitors can come to the hotel and enjoy the casino, shops (very first class, Rodeo Drive style), and restaurants, however, only guests can access the beach and pools. The hotel has 3 towers, the Royal, the Coral and the Beach. There is a definite difference is price and luxuriousness between them, but if you can’t afford the Royal, the Beach is certainly acceptable for comfort, amenities and cleanliness. Whatever tower you choose, the entire hotel and property is at your disposal. Please visit the Atlantis site in our web site, www.westutravel.com, since I cannot write well enough to give the hotel the credit it deserves.

If you can’t afford to stay at the Atlantis, there are two other ways to get to see beach and pool features. First is to take a 2-hour, $25 tour of the property. Your guide will share with you the story of the hotel and take you around to "The Dig" and other interesting activities. Second is to stay at the Comfort Suites just across the street. Guests at the Comfort Suites have full access to the Atlantis and can even charge to their Comfort Suites room. And it is certainly a whole lot less in cost. But, this hotel is always full, so you need to reserve way in advance. The Comfort Suites is a very nice little hotel, simple, clean, and the rooms are spacious but only a single room, not 2-rooms, like a Homewood, or Embassy Suites. Although the hotel offers a restaurant for breakfast and lunch, it is closed for dinner. There are many restaurants in the area, not just the Atlantis.

Next on our list was the Sheraton located on Paradise Island. Beautiful beach, a very Sheraton hotel, but a limited fitness center. The Sheraton is a good hotel if you desire to be on Paradise Island, and near the Atlantis, but want a little more than the budget Comfort Suites. The hotel offers an all-inclusive option, has four restaurants, three bars, and a sports desk. All-inclusive plans do not include motorized water sports. The hotel does have the top chef in the Caribbean overseeing its food services.

We had four hotels left, this time back to Cable Beach. The Marriott, formally owned by Carnival Cruise lines, is in dire need of renovations. The casino is the 2^nd largest in the Bahamas, the 1^st being the Atlantis. I will not be recommending this hotel at this time. For the money the Radisson Cable Beach Resort was just great. All of us liked Radisson. The rooms are not fancy, but clean and efficient. The beach and the grounds and is very pleasurable. This hotel also offers the all-inclusive option and is worth it. There are six restaurants, four bars, golf course nearby and Camp Junkanoo for kids 4 to 11.

Beaches, an all-inclusive Super Club Resort, is popular with families and a college age crowd. The rooms and public areas, were very plain, but you could feel a real happy and enjoyable atmosphere. Guests were having a good time. If pampering is not what you are looking for, this is a good choice.

Our last hotel was the Nassau Beach Hotel. Beware, if you don’t get a renovated room, this place is a dump. We meet some guests of the hotel downtown and they were not happy people. But you get what you pay for, the Nassau Beach Hotel is usually the lead hotel in advertising.

Our hosts for this terrific and educational FAM was FUNJET VACATIONS. Funjet is a preferred supplier to American Express Travel agencies, and provides quality, value-priced vacations for you.