Photo Tour Highlights of Atlantis The Royal and Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai

When the ultra-luxury Atlantis The Royal debuted last year with a celebrity-studded party that included a performance by Beyoncé, the resort instantly became an iconic Dubai landmark. Located on the crescent of Palm Island—the manmade island shaped like a palm tree—Atlantis The Royal is next to Atlantis, The Palm, with the Aquaventure Waterpark between the two properties.

Both resorts and the waterpark are owned and managed by Kerzner International, parent company of One&Only Resorts (Kerzner is no longer affiliated with Atlantis in the Bahamas). Within eight months of opening, Atlantis The Royal was included in the inaugural ranking of The World’s 50 Best Hotels.

You’ll never forget you’re surrounded by water at Atlantis The Royal. The resort’s entrance is flanked by two floor-to-ceiling glass walls enclosing continuous cascades of water punctuated by blasts of fire every few seconds. In the elegant, airy lobby, the stainless-steel 38-foot Droplets sculpture represents the first cool drop of rain in a dry desert.

Twin lobby elevators—the first of their kind in the Middle East—surround riders with cascades of water, echoing the entrance, while fish glide through three large lobby aquariums with LED screen backdrops.

The 693 spacious standard guestrooms at Atlantis The Royal surround guests with convenient and luxurious touches. Each room, measuring approximately 592 square feet, features one king or two queen beds; a walk-in closet and dressing room; a Nespresso machine; a large marble bathroom with a walk-in shower, standalone tub and gold-hued amenities; electronic controls for mood lighting, sheers and drapes; and a “magic” button that transforms the glass separating the bathroom and bedroom from clear to opaque.

Offering mesmerizing views, each room’s balcony is another star feature, with Palmscape rooms facing Palm Island and Seascape rooms facing the Arabian Gulf.

Gourmands delight in the array of celebrity chef-helmed restaurants at Atlantis The Royal, including Ariana’s Persian Kitchen, awarded the Dubai Michelin Guide’s Opening of the Year in 2023. Executive Chef Ariana Bundy’s presentation of such exquisite dishes as the 24K Gold Jeweled Rice is as beautiful as the pastel-hued interior.

Heston Blumenthal, José Andrés, Nobu Matsuhisa, Gastón Acurio and Costas Spiliadis also have acclaimed restaurants at the resort.

The 102 suites at Atlantis The Royal include 38 Sky Pool Villas, each with its own private outdoor pool on an elevated terrace. The pools have been carefully positioned for maximum frontage across the balcony, so guests can drink in the views of the Gulf or the Dubai skyline from inside and outside the water.

Sky Pool Villas come with 24-hour butler service, with connecting options to an adjacent Sky Pool Villa.

Sunbathers feel on top of the world at Cloud 22, Atlantis The Royal’s 22nd-floor exclusive adults-only pool lounge. While listening to the beat of the DJ’s mix—perhaps from one of the prime Infinity Pool floating beds—guests can order cocktails and signature dishes such as bruschetta with Oscietra caviar and Gillardeau oysters.

For a perfect private perch overlooking the Arabian Gulf, book the Duplex Pool Villa at Cloud 22. The most opulent of 12 private cabanas, this “VIP” option features air-conditioned lounge rooms, a private bathroom, its own private pool on the first level and a suspended plunge pool on the second—ideal for taking photos of the surrounding vistas. 

Another adults-only pool option, Nobu by the Beach is the debut pool and beach club by the beloved Japanese-Peruvian restaurant helmed by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The beachfront club features a DJ and lagoon-style pool, around which guests can book sun loungers, day beds and cabanas, some with private pools.

To celebrate Atlantis The Royal’s one-year anniversary, Lifeguard Vivienne currently watches over the pool, one of six statues of the Louis Vuitton mascot on display at the resort. Club guests can order cocktails and Nobu light bites poolside or visit the restaurant to dine on such favorites as black cod with miso served in butter lettuce cups.

The Skyblaze Fountain show at Atlantis The Royal dazzles guests every half-hour nightly, as jets of water choreographed to music and illuminated with 1,400 color-changing lights shoot into the sky. For the best view, book a table on the terrace at estiatorio Milos by Costas Spiliadis, serving high-end Greek food family-style.

All stays at Atlantis The Royal and Atlantis, The Palm include complimentary access to Aquaventure Waterpark—and hotel guests can enter the park a half-hour before other guests. The largest waterpark in the world, Aquaventure boasts more than 105 slides, rides and attractions, and holds the Guinness World Record for Most Waterslides in a Waterpark (50).

With a private beach, marine life experiences and more than 1,000 sun loungers, Aquaventure is also home to several Quiet Zones, designed to offer a break from the park’s sensory stimulation.

The 1,544-room ocean-themed Atlantis, The Palm—the first resort to open on Palm Island, one of the largest manmade islands in the world—entertains all ages with its wide range of attractions and restaurants. Perched on the longest privately-owned stretch of beach in Dubai, the resort is home to four swimming pools, the holistic AWAKEN Spa and one of the region’s largest conference centers.

Its 35 restaurants, lounges and bars include two with Michelin stars—Hakkasan and Ossiano; the hotspot Nobu Dubai; and Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen and Street Pizza.

Guests of all ages can’t help but gaze in wonder at the Ambassador Lagoon, one of the 10 largest aquariums in the world. At the resort’s Lost Chambers Aquarium (daily access included in the hotel rate), visitors can learn more about the 65,000-plus marine animals that live at Atlantis, The Palm. Those who want to dive right in can book such immersive adventures as AquaTrek Xtreme—venturing to the aquarium’s bottom wearing a high-tech helmet.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the two iconic Underwater Suites look onto the Ambassador Lagoon, so guests can watch sharks, rays and fish swim by from the king-sized bed and marble bathtub. Each three-level suite has its own elevator, a lounge overlooking the lagoon and 24-hour butler service.

Guests can marvel at one of the world’s biggest aquariums while tasting some of the region’s most acclaimed cuisine at the one Michelin star Ossiano, helmed by Chef Grégoire Berger. Gault&Millau named the subterranean Ossiano the highest-rated restaurant in the UAE in 2023.

A 2023 renovation enhanced the boho-chic vibe at WHITE Beach, the adults-only club with two pools complete with floating beds and uninterrupted views of Palm Island and the Dubai skyline. Sunbathers can also book daybeds on the beach and luxury cabanas with their own plunge pools. The new outdoor restaurant serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes and cocktails, all to the beat of a DJ-spun soundtrack.