NOT PARADISE

It may seem less than grateful for ones blessings to speak with negativity about a vacation to the Bahamas, but our 1988 experience is not one that I would wish on anyone else that sees our photos.

This trip to Paradise Island in the Bahamas made a very poor and lasting impression, that was not changed until a trip to the Atlantis resort eighteen years later.  We booked our 1988 vacation via AAA and received an AAA discount on the Sheraton Grand on Paradise Island.  When we arrived, the hotel seemed to telling every other guest that they did not have a record of their reservation.  I was glad I had a confirmation card in hand that the Sheraton had mailed.  When our turn came, the hotel clerk informed me that we did not have a reservation. I showed the clerk the confirmation card. After a few minutes typing at the computer, the clerk found the reservation, but said it was only for three night, instead of the five that I had reserved. I pointed out that the confirmation card correctly showed I had reserved five nights. She did some searching and agreed that we could stay 5 nights, but would have to change rooms on the fourth morning. We acquiesced.  Next, the clerk had me initial the room rate.  It did not reflect the AAA discount.  I showed her the rate on the confirmation card. She said it was not valid when the hotel was over a certain % occupancy.  I asked to see the manager, since the new rate made over a $100 difference on our total bill. The manager checked the card and okayed the AAA rate. The clerk started to type, but after a few minutes sighed, held up hand for us to wait and went into the manager’s office. After a few more minutes, the manager accompanied the clerk back out front and informed us that the rate was not valid due to the hotel being heavily booked.  We complained, but had no choice but to accept his decision. 

On the fourth morning we brought all of our luggage back down to the lobby.  There was no room available until after 3 p.m., so we checked the bags with the desk. In the afternoon, the desk gave us a key to our “new” room.  It was the same room number that they had forced us to vacate!!!

We encountered a haughty, rude and unfriendly atmosphere throughout our stay on Paradise Island, but primarily at the Sheraton Grand, especially in the hotel restaurant and at the front desk, but also on their stretch of beach. A stream of beach vendors were extremely pushy and even confrontational when we did not want to buy their knickknacks or banana boat rides or party boat excursions.  One vendor loudly threatened a black (i.e. – this open hostility was directed at tourists of all races) American father that “Hey, Mun…Nobody talking to you…Somebdy gonna’ blow your head off with a shotgun, Mun”  after the father had called across to his wife “We don’t want any, hon’, whatever it is…”

After we had returned from our trip, I wrote a letter to the president of Sheraton Hotels, expressing my dissatisfaction that the reserved rate was not honored. After about two weeks, I received a response that discounted rates did not apply during certain blackout periods or when the hotel was nearly full.  I mailed a copy of my reservation confirmation, hotel bill and the letter from Sheraton’s president to AAA.  One week later I received a check from Sheraton for the disputed amount.  AAA rocks!

I had made it a point of principal never to return to Paradise Island.  I have had wonderful experiences with Sheraton Hotels, elsewhere.  Until 2006, we only returned to the Bahamas once since the 1988 trip, that being a shore excursion into Nassau during a Disney Cruise.  The people in Nassau seemed very nice. In 2006, we decided to give the Atlantis Hotel and Resort on Paradise Island a try. The hotel, albeit expensisve, was fantastic, and what a relief to encounter almost an entire staff of courteous and friendly hotel employees! The Atlantis management has done this resort right – and we would occasionally pass by restaurant staff meeting where one could overhear a motivational type talk being given by one of their managers. It has worked. The Atlantis is literally right next door to the site previously occupied by the Sheraton Grand. That right… pereviously. Not too surprisingly given our experience, the Sheraton Grand – Paradise Island franchise is out of business. The site is now occupied by a Riu Hotel, which I am told is quite nice.