The Bucket List Palm Jumeirah Mega Resort Turns One – We Finally Review Atlantis the Royal, Dubai
Dubai’s skyline is synonymous with opulence, innovation, and architectural marvels. One of its most famous architectural achievements is of course, the Palm Jumeirah, at the pinnacle of which stands the iconic, if not slightly asymmetrical (yes, this annoys us no end) Atlantis The Palm. Next to it, you’ll now find Atlantis the Royal Dubai, a beacon of luxury that is redefining (modern) high-end hospitality in the region. Atlantis the Royal is more than just a hotel; it’s an experience of unrivalled grandiosity, where every detail of your stay is meticulously crafted to in an effort to surpass your highest expectations. If you’re seeking a retreat that balances luxury, relaxation, culinary delights and a touch of adventure, Atlantis The Royal Dubai is your gateway to an otherworldly vacation.
Stepping into Atlantis The Royal Dubai is akin to venturing into a world all of its own. The spectacle begins as you traverse from the gargantuan porte cochère through an entrance way of flowing walls of water interrupted by the occasional fireball – always an intriguing juxtaposition, and one which we see again at the property’s feature fountain. The lobby, resplendent in shades of sea blue and Dubai gold, is a bustling-yet-serene expanse bathed in natural light. It revolves around a towering chrome water droplet art piece, one we always see as the counterpart to Atlantis the Palm’s water-meets-fire signature blown glass sculpture. Futuristic aquariums, filled with fish (who are no doubt a tad bamboozled at the LED screens that back the tanks) flank the enormous lobby; contemporary design is married effortlessly with the oceanic theme that underpins the hotel’s identity. At every turn there’s a smiling face eager to help with a polite nod and a hand on heart – It’s a prelude to the wonder and warmth that’s to follow.
The accommodation at Atlantis the Royal straddles the line between sanctuary and spectacle. The rooms, thoughtfully designed to reflect the hotel’s location, provide more than a place to lay your head; they offer an experience.
The Room.
Stepping in to our accommodations for the next two nights, the first thing we notice is the space afforded by even the most basic of rooms at Atlantis the Royal. Our entry-level Seascape Queen clocks in at a generous 55 square metres, with an entranceway area, spacious bathroom with soaking tub, walk in dressing room and a desk. The balcony comes in at 9 square metres, and if you can figure out how to open the enormous doors (there are two locks, not just one, something that, embarassingly, we needed to seek advice to open), expansive views await as your reward. The view from our ocean-facing room felt secluded and tranquil, yet still amongst all of the excitement this resort conjures. We imagine the Palm-facing views are even more captivating, especially with the sparking lights of the Dubai skyline come nightfall.
The room is full of goodies, something that aways provides us irrational levels of joy. The bathroom is equipped with diamond-inspired toiletries by jewellery brand Graff, and they’ve taken a leaf out of Wynn Palace’s book with a multi-level ammenities chest that boasts a golden razor and toothbrushes (the more expensive suites feature even more gilded extras) and there’s a (golden, of course) bath brush plus a loofah and bath salts.
The glass-walled bathroom may seem, at first, that it affords little privacy, but at the touch of a button, the ‘magic glass’ turns frosted – much to our relief, as we are staying with a very close, but not that close, friend. On the ‘ooh, this is smart’ side of things, there’s a towel hook inside the shower, helping to keep the water where it belongs, and on the perhaps not-as-smart side, each of the double sinks is controlled by seperate hot and cold taps – not quite sure what the reasoning was for this awkward decision. Our only other minor bug bear about the bathroom would be that strangely, there was no shower cap – surely this would be the cheapest of all amenities to provide?
The walk in robe ticks all the boxes on the luxury brief, with thick Frette robes ready to dive into post-tub soak. (Does anyone actually have time to take a bath when at such a spectacular property? We find our tubs usually stay dry.) While the heavy robes are fine for the time of year we are visiting (early and unseasonably stormy March), we do hope they are swapped out or complemented by thinner robes for summer – something we loved at Fairmont Fujairah, where both options were provided. (We still think the robes at Edition hotels are the best in the game, however – they’re so good we bought one to take home and still love years later.)
Doing our usual snoop through the wardrobe drawers in search of treasures, we find a lovely woven straw Atlantis The Royal beach bag, branded his-and-hers jandals, plus the fluffiest slippers, bar none, that we’ve encountered. There’s also a shoe buffer and lint roller – the latter of which is a very nice touch. Padded hangers are also provided, along with a large full length mirror – at this price though, we think a hat would be a appropriate.
In the above-and-beyond amenities category, a rather delicious room spray awaited us sat atop a glass podium on the desk, while a smaller chamomile sleep spray adorned each bedside at turndown (we are ever so grateful it’s not the oft-irritating lavender variety).
The Bed.
Bedding wise, the sheets, duvets and pillows are nice, though maybe not Four Seasons level, and the beds are on the medium side of things when it comes to firmness. Thankfully they aren’t as firm as the rock hard beds at Atlantis The Palm – we get that that is many a travellers vibe, but we personally love a cloud like, pillow-soft bed a la St Regis, Four Seasons and W. On our visit, there were no bedding customisation options to note (understandable in a hotel of this size, but always a luxurious touch). We enjoyed a very acceptable, if not spectacular, night’s sleep.
The Tech.
Power-wise, each bedside comes equipped with a standard USB and a fast charge USB-C port – no outlets, though, so if you need bedside power for a medical device or similar, this could be an issue. The desk boasts further USB charging points and a UK outlet – while we’d usually be critical of a room having no international outlets, Atlantis The Royal has got this covered, providing a very handy international adapter (with a further two USB outlets) and even a three-pronged charging cord. Such a nice touch for the weary (and forgetful) traveller. There are no outlets in the bathroom, but given that there is a large mirror by the desk outlets, there’s ample place for one to tend to any hair styling needs.
There’s no central tablet control, rather lights and the like are controlled via touch panel switches.
Overall, the rooms at Atlantis the Royal are fantastic, truly gorgeous in every way (though we couldn’t seem to find any button to open the curtains, so we resorted to opening them old-school style – a minor gripe, and possibly, we are just blind – no pun intended).
Atlantis The Royal Dubai is such an expansive, and spectacular, property – so much so, that we think it’s best we divide our review in to multiple parts. Our thoughts on the food, lounge and more are still to come in further posts….