For the past three years, the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort has hosted local sports journalists for the Super Bowl, and this past weekend it was no different as the resort welcomed them once again to watch the prestigious football game which was on full display on two jumbo screens, or LED walls as they were termed, on each end of the Cove Pool at the Cove Atlantis Paradise Island during a watch party on Sunday evening.
Super Bowl 55 featured the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, with the Bucs winning, 31-9.
As for the Atlantis Resort, it reopened on December 10 with Atlantis Royal Towers opening its doors first. Prior to that, the resort was closed from March 2020 because of the arrival of the COVID-19 virus here in The Bahamas.
Guests of the hotel were invited for the festivities centered around the viewership of the big game. COVID-19 safety protocols and measures were in place.
Director of Public Relations at the resort Katie Longley said sports journalists in the country have been instrumental in promoting events at Atlantis, and this is their way of saying “thanks” for splendid coverage.
“Whether its sports, food or entertainment, journalists, we believe, are all part of a community that works together to support and promote travel and tourism to The Bahamas, whether its domestic or international. Our sports journalists have been instrumental in promoting events at Atlantis and we appreciate them for that,” Longley stated. “We were elated to have everyone back with us. Super Bowl is the one sporting event that allows all of the local sports reporters to kick back, relax and get together to banter back and forth and just talk sports and build camaraderie.”
President and Managing Director at Atlantis Audrey Oswell expressed excitement during the event. The Sunday night gathering of locals and visitors indicates that the resort is open for business and ready to welcome thousands of guests back in the coming months.
“It is exciting to see so many people here. First of all, it is exciting to have a lot of our Cove team members back who have been on furlough for quite some time. It is really nice to see how it worked out here. We do not always do a lot of outdoor events and fortunately the weather worked with us over here. It is just a beautiful night and we are getting great feedback from our customers. Everyone loves it and they are thrilled to be able to enjoy Super Bowl in a safe environment,” Oswell said.
The game could be seen everywhere around the pool area but what stood out were the two LED walls at both ends of the pool. Their dimensions were 10 x 16 feet, and there were also smaller ones by the various decks and bars. The sound system was exceptional, so much so that football fans in attendance said they felt like they were in Tampa.
The resort does not have its full staff back to work as yet but those who worked the event were all smiles as they catered to the guests as well as the sports journalists. Oswell said they are hopeful of getting the rest of the team back to work by the middle of the year.
“It warms my heart,” Oswell said about seeing the workers back. “All I can hope for is that we can get everyone back to work as quickly as possible. March and April business is looking good so we are hoping that we can bring all of our team members back before the middle of the year.”
As for the highly anticipated game, it was practically a foregone conclusion by the Weeknd’s performance at half-time. At that point, the score was 21-6 in favor of the Buccaneers, and they went on to win 31-9. Legendary quarterback and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) for a fifth time Tom Brady finished the game with 201 passing yards and three touchdown passes.
Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes was unable to pass or rush for a single touchdown as their kicker Harrison Butker scored all nine of their points with three made field goals.
After seeing most, if not all, of the resort’s sporting events postponed in 2020, Longley said they are optimistic that 2021 will feature a return to sports, particularly for the sporting events they host at the resort.
“Battle 4 Atlantis Men’s and Battle 4 Atlantis Women’s will debut this year and we are excited to welcome the teams back and we also look forward to welcoming the participants for the P1 Aqua X races,” she said. “We are also exploring other opportunities for future events. We’re excited and looking forward to what 2021 has to offer.”
The festivities at the Cove Pool was well-received by the invited guests, and the outdoor display provided the perfect setting for the viewing of the biggest American football game of the year.
The post Atlantis hosts sports journalists for the Super Bowl appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/atlantis-hosts-sports-journalists-for-the-super-bowl/
No comments:
Post a Comment