Paradise Island. A collection of coral-color buildings in an estate-like, 18-hectare setting at the eastern end of the island, this place is a luxurious retreat attracting the famous and the nouveaux riches. Embellishing the grounds are stately Versailles-inspired gardens with manicured lawns, Italian marble statues and a restored 14th-century French cloister. Bells toll and a flurry of staffers appear as arrivals pull up under the portico.
Dark walnut and glass doors open to an elegant lobby, where guests sit to register while sipping fruit punch amid antique furnishings, marble tables and tropical flowers. Dining is a sophisticated, expensive affair in Dune, the first island restaurant by uber-chef Jean Georges Vongerichten. The British colonial design with Japanese minimalist overtones features a display kitchen and opens to outdoor patios facing the beach. (Dune also provides 24-hour room service.) The French-Asian fusion menu combines old
classics with contemporary cuisine. The split-level bar is handsome with period furniture and an antique brass chandelier. Beach barbecues are held on the sands on Fridays.
Golf and tennis are the principal diversions, but guests can also bronze themselves on the ravishing stretch of white-sand beach. Guests call for beachside service by holding up a flag. Set in stately gardens, the sundeck's chaise lounges overlook the pool, which is backdropped by an actual Augustinian cloister imported from France by William Randolph Hearst. A clubhouse and full-service pro shop serve nine lighted Har-Tru tennis courts, and guests can use the sports facilities at Atlantis. The 18-hole golf course, created by Tom Weiskopf and home to touring pro Ernie Els, has a new clubhouse where Michael Jordan, who owns a villa on the property, has been known to hang out. The fitness center comes with state-of-the-art equipment and personal TVs. The spa offers a fusion of Asian holistic 
philosophy and Bahamian friendliness, set in eight Balinese-style villas, each with a private pavilion and open-air garden. A yoga deck and massage table overlook the sea. Guests also have free access to bikes, beach toys and nonmotorized water sports. The resort has become a bit more family oriented by adding a kids’ club and a new zero-entry family pool with cascades which is set apart from the other facilities so that the frolicking of children won’t disrupt the otherwise idyllic quiet of the grounds.
A curving staircase ascends to elegant guest quarters in the Hartford Wing, with balconies facing inward to the pool and fountain. Subtle shades of yellow, peach, sea-foam green and shell pink beautify the rooms, and fine island appointments run to matching drapes and spreads, botanical prints, gilt-framed mirrors, glass-topped tables, ornate dark wood armoires and spacious gardenview balconies with fine outdoor furniture. The newer Crescent Wing comprises five 
two-story buildings, and features smallish rooms and suites in island dress, from hardwood louvered doors and burnished wood floors to tropical colors and four-poster beds. These rooms, the prettiest ones here, feature private oceanview patios or balconies, and are just a few paces from the beach. All rooms have air conditioning, minibars, irons, safes, TVs, CDs, DVDs, Internet access, Frette linens, towels, robes and king-sized beds. The marble baths in the suites are massive, and all offer twin basins, mosaic-tile tubs with separate showers, phones, hair dryers, bidets and plush extras. Maid service is three times a day, and guests have the attention of 24-hour butlers.
Popular with honeymooners, this plush spot lavishes guests with the kind of attention that may intimidate the self-conscious but pleases those who love pampering.