There was no way you'd find me lounging by the pool if a beach was nearby — until I spent a 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.

I park myself on a chaise and soak in the scene. The hotel is supremely social. DJs spin music as guests sit at the bar or lounge on the red daybeds in the pool.

The Cove is ideal for small, high-end incentives. The expansion includes a 30,000-square-foot Mandara Spa with 34 treatment rooms, and Dolphin Cay, an 11-acre lagoon where groups can meet dolphins rescued from Hurricane Katrina.

Guest rooms were upgraded, and the casino (already the largest in the Bahamas) was expanded by 8,000 square feet. A 50,000-square-foot ballroom was added, bringing total indoor and outdoor meeting and event space to more than 500,000 square feet.

The resort is already planning a Phase IV expansion.

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