Luxury without limits: 48 hours inside Atlantis The Royal in Dubai reveals fluent dynamics of indulgence

Modern Dubai’s new destination that is fluent in the dynamics of luxury living and sensory indulgence, the mega entertainment resort Atlantis The Royal is a nucleus of non-traditional architecture and leisurely superlatives.

Quintessential sand-tinged homes, seemingly right out of the Prince of Persia game, had just begun to dot the  golden sunlight-struck stretch of Palm Jumeirah  Road before I speedily cruised to the resort laden neighbourhood of Crescent Bay, where Atlantis The Royal towers through a crisp blue  skyline.

One of the most luxurious, happening and a substantially sybaritic entertainment resorts in the world, as they dub it, Atlantis The Royal, was in fact a blockbuster reveal in the beginning of 2023.

Headlined by Beyonce’s concert and a star-studded guestlist. Take our word for it, though. There is nothing predictable about the property. The doors open up several, sensorial layers of indulgence, enwrapping an encyclopaedic gambit of over fifteen celebrity chef restaurants, aquariums, spas, luxury retail boutiques, multiple pockets of pools and infinity pools, and common corridors that tether the cool indoors to the warm(er) outdoors.

Visual Performances

Marching inside, Atlantis The Royal nearly unwraps as a theatrical performance. While there, the melodious tunes of Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons music kept playing in my head. Dramatic yet familiar! Daring to move beyond Dubai’s colossal and reflective super skyscrapers identity, this resort rises up 178 m tall, like real-life tetris stacked one over the other.

Beset with 795 rooms, suites and mega penthouses inside, the facade stands like a see-through screen, architected by NY-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) with interior designers G.A Group and Sybille de Margerie. Fringed by the endless sea and countless Palm trees, the property neighbouring its predecessor Atlantis The Palm is easy and adventurous at the same time. Intriguing installations that mimic water-based moments ultimately become a visually rich spine of one’s experience here.

Glamorous well-being

Candidly speaking, repose is almost an afterthought here. With an ensemble of venues and activities that transpire, the place becomes an exploration of modern Dubai, slowly metamorphosing into a global map by every minute.

On the palate, world cuisines compete to leave a lingering impression — from the Greek restaurant Milos and One Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal to Nobu’s first beachclub Nobu by the Beach and Michelin-recognised Ariana’s Persian Kitchen steered by celebrity chef Ariana Bundy. A flavourful shuffle; while lunch at Milos unfurls as a robust lesson in Mediterranean fare, by evening, dinner at Persian Kitchen, bejewelled with carved domes resembling Iranian- American chef Bundy’s native home in Kashan(Iran) is a convincing, authentic taste trip.

Contemplative glamour resurfaces on the 22nd floor at Cloud 22 Skypool, embellished with an infinity pool and floating beds that savour the maximum vistas of the Arabian Gulf and Palm Island. Not to forget the pool-skirted Nobu by the Beach, the first of its kind from the original and much fanfared Nobu! A cocktail in one hand, while the eyes gaze around and above, convincingly overwhelmed with the happy blues around.

The pizzazz of leisure is also cradled inside AWAKEN Spa, where well-being gently crosses over with extravagance. Of which, the Hammam Sensorium stands out, painting a new-age version of the bathhouse concept, weaving the four elements of nature into our meditative existence. The therapy is a reset for the senses. It begins with an aromatic body scrub and mask being slathered gently on with just the right kind of hot splashes of water later. A pitstop inside the steam room douses you with tempers of warmth to complete the experience, before another fragrant body oil massage.

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