Dubai is not known for its subtlety, but rather for its opulence and the showy display of wealth and materialism and that is why people love it. The Atlantis Palm hotel there is one of the biggest examples of Dubai’s love of all things OTT!
Its name is taken from the mythological island mentioned in Plato’s writings, thought to be long lost and submerged under water, and the Palm, the manmade island where the hotel is located.
Hotel or Theme Park or Both?
When you arrive at Atlantis The Palm you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped into a completely different time and world. This is why it is often referred to as Disneyland for adults.
The Rooms
There are many different options when it comes to rooms and suites so that there is something for everyone. You can even stay in the Signature Underwater Suite, a 3-storey high suite that has walls that allow you to have an up close and personal view of the fish and sea life in the aquarium. If you would prefer somewhere away from the water, there are also another 150 rooms in the Imperial Club.
The Animals
Atlantis is home to around 65,000 different types of marine animals, most of which live in The Lost Chambers Aquarium in habitats designed to be as close to the animal’s natural homes as possible. There are also dolphins at Dolphin Bay and a place to learn how to scuba dive and meet sharks in the Atlantis Dive Centre. If you just want to have fun though, the Aquaventure Waterpark, spread across a whopping 42 acres making it the biggest water park in all of the Middle East and Europe, is where you need to go.
The Beaches
Even if you just want to kick off your shoes and relax under the baking hot sun, the hotel resort owns 3 private and very beautiful beaches – the 700-meter Aquaventure Beach, the 1.5-kilometer Royal Beach, and the Nasimi Beach Club.
The Nasimi Beach Club doubles up as a beach and a nightclub and plays host to some of the best and most popular music acts from around the world.
The Restaurants
Who doesn’t love tucking into some great food while staying in a hotel? Well, the Atlantis Palms provides in this area as well with 21 different restaurants that are designed to meet the varied culinary needs of the hotel’s guests. Included in the 21 are 4 award-winning establishments – Ossiano, Seafire Steakhouse and Ba, Ronda Locatelli, and Nobu!
The Spa
Maybe you prefer to spend quality time away from home in a hotel treating your body to some serious pampering. Again, the Palms meet this demand with the very indulgent and exquisite spa called ShuiQi. There are 27 different treatment rooms that offer a wide array of deluxe and high-end spa treatments which means it will be hard not to find a package that will fit your needs and wants.
Although generally described as a 5-star hotel, judging by the experience my friends and relatives have had there it is probably more like a 7-star hotel. I have not stayed there yet, but you can be sure that a great hotel like this is top of my list of “must visits”!