Stay Here: Atlantis The Palm, DubaiBy Alicia Grimshaw
Dubai is an adults pleasure island – nothing is out of reach and anything is possible. A metropolitan city home to people of varying backgrounds and cultures, shopping for all budgets, lively nightlife and activities for everyone. Dubbed ‘the shopping capital of the Middle East’ Dubai is home to the world’s largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall. Fast becoming a favourite destination among holidaymakers thanks to its all year round weather, vast cuisine choices and luxury accommodation. There’s only place to stay while holidaying in Dubai and that’s at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai and here’s why:
The Hotel
Atlantis, The Palm opened in September 2008, and spans a massive 46 hectares, with 17 hectares of water park alone. Located on the palm, a man made island just off Dubai it’s world renowned for its scale and ingenuity. The ocean-themed resort and hotel caters for everyone’s tastes and we’re not just talking about the food. Nothing here is done on a small scale – it’s over the top and definitely not understated. But this is Dubai and it works. Think, Las Vegas minus the luminous casino lights and roulette tables. It’s a shopping centre, hotel, aquarium and water park all rolled into one. When we say you never need to leave the resort, we mean it.
The Rooms
The hotel has over 1,500 rooms in total, to suit any purse or pocket. The most popular rooms are the deluxe guest rooms which have been decorated with subtle oceanic and Arabian features and fittings. Each Deluxe Guest Room offers magnificent partial views of the Arabian Sea or The Palm. The room comes with a choice of king size or two queen size beds, a mini bar, Cable TV and 24 hour room service. The bathroom does not disappoint, a walk in shower plus a bath the size of a communal swimming pool. And yes, so many toiletries. There’s good reason why Atlantis, The Palm was awarded World’s Leading Landmark Resort 2015 at the World Travel Awards.
The Facilities
The Atlantis, The Palm has a range of facilities and activities onsite. Sure, it has the usual – outdoor pools, spa and fitness centre, and a large stretch of private beaches, but the hotel goes one step further with their offerings. We aren’t just talking about souvenir shops or boat trips (although they offer both, obviously).
At the hotel you have the chance to become pals with the marine life. Hang out with dolphins, discover sea lions or take a trip to the aquarium. The hotel is home to one heck of an aquarium filled with 65,000 sea life creatures. Discover what’s behind the glass with a range of their aquarium packages that includes scuba diving, snorkelling and feeding. Who says staying at a resort is boring? At Atlantis, The Palm Dubai it certainly isn’t.
There’s one place to get both your thrills and sunshine kicks, and that’s the Aquaventure Waterpark, conveniently located, well, next door. It has everything – for the daring queue for the record breaking rides and slides or for the tan fans, laze on the 700 metres of pristine beaches. Aquaventure Waterpark boasts the Aquaconda – the world’s largest water slide, not for the faint heated may I add. Take the leap of faith at the Tower of Neptune – a vertical slide that will plunges you into underneath chambers and tunnels. It’s terrifying. There’s no need to shlep back to the hotel in a soggy swimming costume and a damp towel as there are 15 restaurants at the waterpark to keep the hunger pangs at bay. Sack off the burger and chips and head to Lagoon for a serving of their hazelnut ice-cream. We’re still dreaming about it.
The Food
Enjoy world cuisine, without walking out of the hotel. Within Atlantis The Palm, there are 26 restaurants ranging from quick fast food bites (try the shawama at Shawafel) to Japanese fare at Nobu and unbelievable steak served at Seafire Steak House. Gordon Ramsay recently opened Bread Street Kitchen (we met up with him – read the interview here) at the hotel, drop in for gastro-pub bites and a cracking beef welly.There’s so much choice here, it’s almost overwhelming.
For a real breakfast buffet, there’s only one restaurant you should be dining at – Saffron. This restaurant is massive and we don’t use that term lightly, it’s absolutely huge. There’s everything on offer here, we’re talking about South East Asian cuisine of dim sum, noodles and curries of all tastes and spice levels. There’s 20 live theatrical cooking stations than rustle up omelettes on demand served alongside fry-up items of beans, sausages and bacon plus many more. There’s a station stacked full of sweet treats – cupcakes, slices of cakes, and anything that’s sugary and delicious. Fancy a doughnut covered in sauce from the chocolate fountain pre 10am? Well, you can and it’s available here. I’m telling you, children go mad for it. There’s heaps of cereal, various different types of milks, dried fruit and toppings to choose from. Oh, and did we mention they have ton of pastries and more breads than Gregg’s.
It’s not all children party-esque, Yuan Chinese restaurant is an award winning eatery with a contemporary twist. Come for a indulgent dinner in sleek surroundings with innovative cocktails to match. The Chinese dishes are light, flavoursome using traditional Chinese ingredients. The sweet and sour chicken is the restaurant’s speciality, it’s damn good. The menu is an eclectic mix of classic dishes with a signature YUAN twist – order a few of their dim sum with different fillings. Save space for their chocolate rocks with salted caramel pudding, it’s out of this world.
