What’s better: A Caribbean vacation, or not paying for the hotel? Fortunately, service members can have both with a free multi-night stay at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Here’s how to do it, so you can start planning your trip to one of the best resorts in the Caribbean.
How to Get the Atlantis Bahamas Military Discount
1. Go to one of the Caesars Casino locations.
2. Sign up for the Caesars Rewards Program and show your military ID.
3. Service members automatically get the Platinum tier rewards level. One perk of this is a complimentary Atlantis trip.
4. Call Casino VIP services (888-877-7592) to book.
You will be able to get a complimentary 2 or 5 night stay dependent on whether it is off season or peak season. This is an annual perk– so it’s worth the trip to your nearest Caesars location to sign up.
If this sounds too good to be true, that’s understandable. The good news is that it is a legitimate offer with no catches. I personally know people who have done this and I am currently planning a trip to the Bahamas using these steps. Here’s how it works.
How the Military Discount Works
This discount is actually run through the Caesars Casino Rewards Program. The program offers lucrative perks to encourage people to spend money in their casinos. It is not a credit card or financial account, it simply allows you to earn rewards as you spend. There are six membership levels that are (typically) based on how much you spend per year.
You can sign up for the program by going to the Rewards Program window at any Caesar’s location and showing them your military ID. You will receive a Salute to Service card which is equivalent to the Platinum Tier. This gives you complimentary access to the lucrative perks available to Platinum Tier members.
You can sign up at any location that is owned by Caesars. Some notable locations are:
- Florida and North Carolina
- Maryland, Virginia and Philadelphia
- Lake Tahoe, North California, South California
- Mississippi, New Orleans
I recently got my Salute to Service Card at Harrahs Cherokee Casino in North Carolina. It took me about 10 minutes and the attendant at the rewards desk knew about the program and the vacation perk.
Platinum Tier Benefits
The Platinum Tier is the second Tier of the Caesars Rewards Program. It’s most unique perk is the aforementioned stay at the Atlantis Bahamas but it also includes other perks such as:
- Monthly $10 free bet for Caesars Sportsbooks
- Complimentary valet parking at most destinations
- Discounts on room rates at Caesars locations
- 10% discount on Norwegian cruise line vacations
For insight on just how good this military benefit is you would typically do the following to earn this Tier:
- Spend $5,000 annually at Caesars locations through the rewards program
- Open and spend $5,000 annually on the Caesars rewards credit card
Instead, you get all these perks for free through the salute to service program. So now you have access to a complimentary Caribbean vacation every year among other solid perks.
How to Book Your Trip to Atlantis Resort
Booking this trip is as simple as calling casino services (888-877-7592). The process is straightforward though the wait can be longer than you might experience with other travel companies such as American Express travel. A couple of tips on what to expect:
1. If you just opened your rewards card they may not have it on file yet. The attendant will need to set it up and then you will need to call back the next day.
2. It is prudent to schedule the trip at least 3 months out because the Atlantis Resort is such a popular destination.
3. You should plan a trip during off peak months to get a 5 night stay instead of a 2 night stay. The hotel you stay in is also affected by availability and when you choose to go.
2 Nights in Coral or Royal Hotel
- June
- August
- November
- December
5 Nights in Coral Hotel (Non Peak)
- May
- September
- October
- January
You also have the option to extend for an additional 2 nights at a guaranteed rate of $100/night. Depending on the time of year your stay also includes a $50 or $100 free slot play voucher.
There are resort fees of roughly $60/night that are not covered by this perk. However, this is still a significant discount compared to paying this fee and the average room rate ($550).
Now that you understand how this discount works, let’s cut to the fun part and explore what you can do at the Atlantis Resort and how to plan your flight. And if you want to learn about more military discounts like this, then you can support us by subscribing!
The Atlantis Resort
The Atlantis resort is known for its incredible waterpark and beaches. The waterpark is around 141 acres and is free to guests who are staying at the resort. The most famous slide is the Maya temple which is a 60 foot near vertical slide into a pool surrounded by sharks.
The beaches are also incredible and range from Atlantic beaches to inland side beaches that are popular family spots and are known for snorkeling.
Access to all of these amenities, the casino, and pools is complimentary. That being said, Atlantis also has some compelling experiences if you’re down to spend some of the money you’re saving.
Experiences
The Atlantis Resort has a Marine life rehabilitation facility that focuses on sea lions and dolphins. It is centered in the Dolphin Cay which is a private lagoon. You can book experiences here ranging from lounging on the beach, to paddleboarding or snorkeling for the more adventurous.
This 18 hole par 72 golf course has breathtaking views of the Caribbean throughout. If you’re into golfing, this is a must. With a 5 night stay, a round of golf is complimentary.
Sea glass is the main casino and has any table game you can think of, restaurants, bars and a 9,000 square foot nightclub.
The Cove Pool is an adults only pool that features its own poolside casino.
Flights
The airport for Atlantis Resort is Nassau International Airport (NAS). All major airports on the East Coast, Texas and Denver have direct flights to Nassau.
Orlando and Miami are the cheapest direct flights and will cost on average $300. Here is a hypothetical trip during May (an off-peak month).
New York City, Atlanta and DC area flights will generally cost around $550. Here is the same hypothetical trip from those locations.
Flights are going to be the most significant expense when planning this trip. Over my years in the military, I have used CheapOair for my travels. I generally find them to have better search results than google flights and very affordable trip insurance. They also don’t charge any cancellation, refund, or ticket change fees to military or veterans. Between that and the trip insurance, they greatly reduce anxiety when planning a trip with an unpredictable work schedule.
Combining Military Discounts to Reduce Airline Cost
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has an annual $300 travel credit that can be applied towards airfare. This card is free for military members and that $300 credit will come off the cost of the flight. This is an annual credit which resets on the date you opened the card.
You could use this in conjunction with the annual Bahamas perk from Caesars and greatly reduce the cost of this trip while taking it every year.
I often use this travel credit in combination with other perks. For example, I used it with the Ritz Carlton military discount and saved an additional $300 on room rates that were already 50% off.
Take Aways
The Atlantis Resort Bahamas is a top tier vacation spot. Generally, it can be a fairly expensive location when you consider flights, rooms and the fact that it is not an all inclusive resort (although meal plans are available).
The military discount offered through Caesars Casino rewards makes it a lot more affordable to have an incredible vacation by saving you the room cost. That being said, there are still flight and meal cost, though you can work the first one down by smartly combining this with other military perks.
For most people, particularly those who are looking for a family vacation, it still makes sense to plan and budget for this trip.
This discount is best viewed not as a free trip but as an upgrade to your normal vacation.
For the price of a weeklong trip almost anywhere, you can have the vacation of a lifetime. And the best part, is you can do this year after year.