Atlantis The Royal Dubai delivers new levels of bling

In a city not exactly known for doing things half-measure, there is only one way to open what is billed as the world’s most luxurious resort. And that’s to have Queen Bey grace the stage, wrapping up her performance belting out ‘Drunk in Love’ amid a fountain that breathes fire and water. But more on that later.

In Dubai more is always more, and that maxim has undoubtedly been taken to heart at Atlantis The Royal, the game-changing new island resort unveiled this weekend on Palm Jumeirah.

As if building vast artificial islands in the shape of a palm tree wasn’t enough, the fronds of the Palm Jumeirah offshore of the city now come topped with a 795-key hotel that, in their words “welcomes guests to an experience that will completely redefine their perspective of luxury”.

But let’s start with the damage. At Atlantis The Royal entry-level Seascape rooms start at just shy of R14,000 per night. Ahem, with a minimum two-night stay, if you please.

The rates only go up from there, with the Sky Pool Villa yours for a mere R79,000 a night.

But they are impressive, with spacious living and dining areas leading on to a vast outdoor terrace decked out with sun loungers and your own private infinity pool offering views to the city and beyond. If you don’t plan on swimming, the Sky Terrace Suites are half the price while keeping plenty of outdoor space. Still a little spendy? The Royal Club rooms are perhaps the Goldilocks option, with 55 square metres of room leading on to a private balcony. Guests here also have access to the exclusive Royal Club Lounges, to soak up lush afternoon teas and evening drinks.

Across the new resort, there’s no end of glamorous corners, offering endless opportunities. In Resonance a 7-meter-high aquarium is filled with the nebulous forms of 4,000 moon jellyfish, while the five tonnes of polished steel in the 11-meter ‘Droplets’ statue evoke the first drops of rain falling on a thirsty desert. Not that there’s a water shortage here.

An epic wall of 68,000 litres of water — transformed by LED lights at night — greets guests on arrival before they step into glass elevators that rise within a sheath of falling liquid. And, yes, there’s Skyblaze, the first — and only — permanent fire and water performance fountain in the region. It’s eye-catching, undoubtedly impressive and entirely over-the-top. And, perhaps, completely unnecessary. 

A little like Atlantis The Royal itself, I wonder? But that’s unlikely to stop this groundbreaking new hotel from being a runaway success, as travellers flock to the latest shimmering destination in a city that survives, and thrives, on shiny new things. The doors open on February  10.