There's no way you'll find me lounging by the pool if a beach is nearby. No, sir. At least that's what I always said until I spent the weekend at The Cove, at Atlantis, Paradise Island.

The all-suite, 600-room resort opened last March as part of the property's $1 billion, Phase III expansion. It has ocean views from all rooms, and, of course, that breathtaking pool. The space is supremely social. DJs spin music as guests sit at the bar, play craps in the outdoor gaming area, or lounge on the red daybeds located right in the center of the water.

The Cove, ideal for high-end incentives, is just one of many new additions to Atlantis. The Phase III expansion, which concluded last April, also includes the newly opened 30,000-square-foot Mandara Spa, offering 34 treatment rooms; a nightclub; Nobu restaurant; Dolphin Cay, an interactive, 11-acre lagoon where groups can meet dolphins rescued from Hurricane Katrina; and the Marina Village, a dining and shopping plaza.

All existing guest rooms received an upgrade, and the casino (already the largest in the Bahamas) got an 8,000-square-foot expansion. Atlantis also added a new 50,000-square-foot ballroom to its conference center and a new banquet kitchen capable of accommodating up to 4,000 guests. The expansion brings the total amount of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space to more than 500,000 square feet. As if that were not enough, fresh off its facelift, the resort is already planning a Phase IV expansion.