Published: 20 August 2026
Opened in 2008 as the Atlantis brand’s Dubai outpost, the hotel has since become both a landmark and a work of architecture inseparable from Palm Jumeirah. Its paired pink towers and central arch are so closely associated with the island that even a partial view is enough to identify the setting.
Over the years, Atlantis has added new restaurants and broadened its family facilities, allowing the resort to serve anything from a full holiday to a short break or an evening out. With 1,544 rooms and suites, it is an extensive property, best enjoyed by choosing the parts that suit the visit rather than trying to cover everything.
How Atlantis Became Part of Palm Jumeirah
International architecture and design practice WATG conceived the 22-storey resort across 114 acres, including the 60-acre waterpark. Moorish archways, palm-shaped pillars and decorative ironwork bring Arabian references into the story of the lost city, while the great central opening joins the two hotel wings. The theme continues inside the 19-metre lobby, where a water wall descends into a pool and Albino Gonzalez’s painted canvases portray constellations, planets, seasons and Atlantean mythology.
The lobby’s centrepiece is Dale Chihuly’s ten-metre glass sculpture, composed of more than 3,000 hand-blown pieces and assembled individually over two weeks. Together with the hotel’s pink towers and familiar arch, works such as this have made Atlantis inseparable from Palm Jumeirah.
Its ties to Dubai extend beyond architecture. Investment Corporation of Dubai acquired the Atlantis business in 2014 and assumed control of Kerzner International the following year, placing both the property and its operator within the investment portfolio of the Government of Dubai.
A Resort for Different Generations
Beyond the towers, Aquaventure World occupies much of the resort grounds. Its waterpark contains more than 105 slides, rides and attractions, with unlimited access included in every hotel stay. Families can consequently dip in and out rather than devote an entire day to it, leaving time for the beach, pools, tennis or padel.
The neighbouring Lost World Aquarium changes the pace, leading through 14 chambers inhabited by more than 65,000 marine animals. The Ambassador Lagoon also extends into the wider hotel, where broad viewing windows line the dining room at Ossiano and the bedroom and bathroom of the Underwater Suite. Sharks and rays therefore form the backdrop to dinner or an overnight stay.
The resort also makes practical provision for different ages. Atlantis Explorers Club welcomes children from four to 12, while Little Explorers offers a parent-supervised indoor and outdoor play area for those aged three and under. These facilities allow families to divide the day according to age and interest. Different generations need not remain in step from morning to evening, but can go their separate ways for a few hours and meet again over lunch or dinner.
Rooms That Reduce the Distance
Accommodation begins with Deluxe rooms measuring 45 to 47 square metres, with windows framing either the Palm or the Arabian Sea. For families, interconnecting rooms extend the space to 90–94 square metres, providing separate bedrooms without losing the convenience of shared accommodation. This is often the more practical arrangement when travelling with children.
At the top of the range, the 429-square-metre Grand Atlantis Suite commands views across the Palm, sea and skyline from five private balconies. The Presidential Suite covers 220 square metres, whereas the 165-square-metre Underwater Suite has picture windows overlooking the Ambassador Lagoon. Here, space is paired with service. Signature Suite stays include in-room check-in, round-the-clock butler service and private dining from the resort’s signature restaurants.
For guests who value convenience over additional floor space, Imperial Club provides a useful middle ground. Its separate lounge serves breakfast and afternoon tea, followed by sunset drinks and canapés, while a secluded beach offers an alternative to the principal resort areas. Taken together, these privileges establish a smaller and more convenient routine within an otherwise extensive property.
Dining as a Second Life
Nobu opened with Atlantis in 2008 along the ground level as part of the resort’s Avenues retail plaza, moving to the former Royal Bridge Suite in 2023. The relocation placed the Japanese-Peruvian restaurant on the 22nd floor, with an open terrace commanding views across the Palm and Dubai skyline. Once among the hotel’s most private quarters, the space now welcomes diners to the top of the central arch.
FZN by Björn Frantzén takes a more intimate approach. Opened in November 2024 with only 27 seats, it serves modern European cooking informed by Japanese influences. Dinner begins with canapés in a living room whose interiors lean towards Scandinavian restraint, followed by the principal courses in the dining room and petits fours back where the evening started. The restaurant now holds three Michelin stars.
Elsewhere, Ossiano holds one Michelin star for its creative cooking in a dining room ten metres beneath the aquarium. Hakkasan Dubai has the same distinction for contemporary Cantonese cuisine. More casual fare is also on hand, ranging from family meals and brunches to lunch beside the beach. Collectively, these restaurants allow Palm residents to make regular use of Atlantis without setting foot in a guest room.
A Quieter Side of Atlantis
AWAKEN Wellness offers a welcome change of gear from the pools and family attractions. Located in the West Tower, it brings together AWAKEN Spa, with massages, facials, body treatments and energy therapies, and AWAKEN Fitness, where training is supported by saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges and recovery treatments. Guests aged 12 to 16 may enter with an accompanying parent or guardian between 9 am and 2 pm; after that, the facilities are reserved for adults.
Atlantis is not a small coastal retreat. Its size, public attractions and constant flow of visitors shape every stay. The sensible approach is to set the pace of the stay around what matters most, whether that means choosing a conveniently placed room, booking two or three restaurants in advance or leaving part of the day unplanned. Atlantis, The Palm cannot be fully explored in one short stay, so extending the visit to experience more of its activities is worthwhile.
Although Atlantis The Royal is the crescent’s newer architectural statement, it has not eclipsed the original. Its iconic silhouette remains a familiar sight across Palm Jumeirah, while its full complement of resort facilities has served families, local diners and residents calling in for an afternoon at the spa for nearly years now.
