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This big, flashy megaresort on the lovely sands of Cable Beach is so vast and all-encompassing that some of its guests never venture into Nassau during their stay on the island. In 2004, the hotel underwent a $12 million renovation. When Carnival Cruise Lines ran it, it was shamelessly glitzy and nicknamed "The Purple Palace," because of its garish color schemes. It's now painted a tasteful beige with salmon-colored trim. It is more subdued and elegant. It's a great place for an action-packed vacation or honeymoon, complete with a fine beach of white sands, swaying palm trees, and good snorkeling right offshore. If you have a choice, stay here and not at Radisson's Cable Beach Hotel where food, service, and maintenance are not as good.

The complex incorporates five high-rise towers, a futuristic central core, and a cluster of gardens and beachfront gazebos -- all linked by arcades, underground passages, and mini-pavilions. Guest rooms are spacious and well furnished, and come in several different price brackets ranging from standard island view to deluxe ocean vista, each with private balconies. If you're a big spender, corner suites with lots of space are the way to go, complete with wraparound balconies and king-sized beds looking out onto the water through floor-to-ceiling glass. Combination bathrooms (shower and tub) most often come with spacious dressing areas and dual basins.

Aside from a massive casino, the largest in The Bahamas, the complex contains a wide array of dining and drinking facilities. Two of its restaurants, Black Angus Grille for succulent steaks and other American fare, and Sole Mare with a gourmet Italian cuisine, are among the finest in New Providence. Even if you're not a guest of the hotel, you might want to avail yourself of the drinking and dining options or the casino action here.

Facilities: 8 restaurants; 3 bars; outdoor pool; golf course; 10 tennis courts; sauna; health club; children's programs (4-12); 24-hr. room service; business center; babysitting; laundry service/dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.