Evaluation: Atlantis The Palm Resort in Dubai – is it well worth the cash?

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Staying at Atlantis The Palm Resort in Dubai was an enormous deal with for us in our final month dwelling within the Center East. It’s probably the most recognisable resorts on the earth and, with household rooms beginning at £380 an evening (after we stayed), its additionally probably the most costly we’ve booked. 

However was it price it? Let’s get actual, this isn’t a price range lodge. However I’m completely unbiased after I say that is the perfect lodge we’ve ever stayed at.

On this put up I’m sharing our expertise and the place we felt our cash was effectively spent.

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Our two nights at Atlantis The Palm

This was the second half of an extended weekend in Dubai the place we had already revisited Motiongate – our favorite theme park at Dubai Parks and Resorts – and had an incredible keep at Lapita Resort Dubai.

Atlantis had lots to stay as much as.

The primary impressions had been wonderful. We had been instantly wowed by the pink carpet and foyer that took me again to the Ballagio in Vegas the place we spent a part of our honeymoon. The ten metre fountain below a glittering dome was charming.

The lodge has two wings both aspect of the long-lasting arch. Throughout our two night time keep we spent most of our time within the East wing, which is dwelling to the Imperial Membership Lounge, The Misplaced World Aquarium and the Aquaventure World water park. 

What’s so particular about Atlantis The Palm?

Like many nice household resorts, there’s little or no cause to depart Atlantis to seek out issues to do. And, if like us, you’ve solely received two nights, there actually is not any level in making every other plans.

What makes Atlantis particular is that it’s a luxurious lodge with the service, catering and world-leading services to match. Some resorts aimed toward households really feel cliché – like the entire place is working extra time to verify the youngsters stay their finest lives, whereas the adults tag alongside.

Mother and father, worry not! Atlantis is as a lot for you as your offspring with high-quality eating, youngsters golf equipment that they’ll not need to go away and inclusive actions that actually are successful with the entire household.

So, what do you get on your cash? 

Should you’re interested by staying on the Atlantis I’m assuming you could have an affordable vacation price range.

Costs fluctuate relying on the season, however in June after we stayed there have been packages starting from £380 an evening for a household room with no inclusive meals to £7,500k+ an evening for an ‘Extraordinary Full Board’ keep in a Grand Atlantis Suite.

Whichever finish of the size you go, this isn’t an affordable place to remain. What’s vital is: is it worth for cash?

Everybody, no matter room grade, will get entry to the world’s largest waterpark, Aquaventure World, and limitless entry to the Misplaced World Aquarium. So, if these are your precedence, you don’t must splash out greater than the essential price.

Nevertheless, pay as you go eating and drinks will add up. That is why I feel it’s price room charges that embody these.

Relying on the package deal you go for there’s inclusive meals on the resort’s buffets and al a carte eating places (some require a complement), free non-motorised water sports activities and reductions on experiences within the waterpark.

We booked an Ocean View Queen Room with two double beds and a package deal together with half board, Imperial Membership Lounge entry (extra on what nice worth that is under) and one session within the Explorers youngsters membership. This price us the equal of £660 an evening over the busy Eid al Adha vacation.

Once we arrived we had been provided an improve to a Terrace Suite going through The Palm. It was too good a deal to show down. The checklist value for this room was £810 an evening on the identical dates and got here with just a few extra advantages.

Terrace Suite at Atlantis The Palm

I had (not so) secretly been eager for a room with a view of The Palm after we booked the Atlantis.

Fortunately the glee of the women after we walked into the foyer put Mr Tin Field in a superb temper and he determined to financial institution some Daddy and husband factors by paying a bit further to improve us.

We caught with our half board package deal however received some further advantages:

Complimentary AquaXpress move as soon as per keep (to leap the water slide queues)

Entry to the non-public Imperial Membership Seaside

Two Explorers Membership classes per day vs the one session per baby for our whole keep.

Had we booked this suite up entrance we might have additionally had complimentary airport transfers to and from Dubai Airport. It was a mute level as we had pushed ourselves from Muscat, however the improve package deal added up properly.

Plus, our Terrace Suite had loads of understated wow added to that each one vital view.

A one-bedroom suite with room for households

Contemplating the Atlantis was inbuilt 2008, our room felt contemporary and opulent – identical to the lodge’s public areas.

We had front room with a big couch that folded out right into a mattress at night time, a eating desk for 4, a rest room and wardrobe. We requested a further single mattress for the 10-year-old to avoid wasting squabbling over mattress inches.

The dwelling space was the right area to show over to the women. Though they received a agency briefing on not touching the extraordinarily effectively stocked mini bar that includes tempting sweets, candies and biscuits – our already smashed price range was not going to cowl midnight munchies.

Past the women’ area was the spacious main bedroom with an enormous rest room full with luxurious toiletries and a stroll in wardrobe. There have been fluffy slippers, his and her flip flops, and robes.

Every night our valet, Dilshan, magically reworked the suite for bedtime. Flipping out the couch mattress, creating towel animals to buddy up with the women’ stuffed toys, and arranging water and slippers beside our beds. We additionally received a fairly field of Eid dates and maamouls (date biscuits), whereas all our charging cables had been tidied with Atlantis charms and cable ties.

It was a problem to tear ourselves away, however the points of interest of Atlantis beckoned.

Examine room charges.

Misplaced World Aquarium

You’ll be able to’t assist however be drawn to the large home windows into the Ambassador tank within the East wing of the Atlantis Palm lodge. As we arrived there was a scuba diver on the opposite aspect of the 70cm thick viewing panes, cleansing the tank from inside. However this isn’t the principle aquarium.

The Misplaced World (previously The Misplaced Chamber) is on the best way to the lodge’s water park entrance. Inside there are 14 themed zones containing greater than 65,000 marine creatures. Not one of the tanks inside fairly measure as much as the wow-factor of the lodge’s Ambassador tank, however it’s nonetheless a powerful aquarium.

Since we visited, multi-media shows and mermaid exhibits have been added to the aquarium’s points of interest making it much more of a profit for lodge visitors.

Somewhat than pay an admission cost (100 AED/£20 per particular person) we might flash our lodge wrist bands and go to as many instances as we needed. Should you’re not staying on the Atlantis you should purchase tickets for the aquarium or a combo ticket that features the water park.

Aquaventure World – the world’s largest water park

It was HOT after we stayed at Atlantis in June, so we made visiting Aqauventure our precedence on the primary morning.

The slides and rides had been improbable. Our children – aged 10 and 12 – had been simply the suitable age to get pleasure from a whole lot of the joys rides, particularly the twin and group rides which we might expertise collectively. The six seater Odyessy of Terror – the world’s tallest water slide – Shockwave and Aquaconda had been all hits.

We additionally had a go on the well-known however remarkably tame Shark Assault duel tube journey via a shark tank and the remarkably lengthy and lazy River Rapids, which took us on a tour of the park.

I stepped approach outdoors my consolation zone for the vertical drop slide Blackout throughout which I had sufficient time to plead for it to cease twice whereas hurtling down the free fall part.

We spent 4 and a half hours in Aquaventure, which felt like lots as there was a whole lot of strolling to do between the rides. We had been glad we had loaded up on breakfast beforehand because the food and drinks was costly. Within the park we grabbed just a few drinks and headed again to the lodge for afternoon tea which was included in our Imperial Membership Room package deal.

Did we get pleasure from Aquaventure World greater than Yas Water World in Abu Dhabi? This can be controversial, however no. Yas is extra compact and will not have as many world-beating rides, however that suited us higher. We’d additionally return to Yas to see its extension since our final go to.

Not staying on the Atlantis? Examine park costs and offers on Platinum Listing and direct with the water park.

Earlier than you go to Aquaventure World

Right here’s some extra helpful issues to find out about Aquaventure:

The are altering rooms within the park and lockers. You must pay to make use of the lockers

Towels are included for lodge visitors 

There are free water factors, so deliver a reusable bottle

You want first rate water sneakers reasonably to guard your ft on the recent floor. Nevertheless you’ll be requested to take rubber-soled sneakers off when doing a whole lot of the rides. There are shoe racks throughout the park.

If you wish to deliver a GoPro to document your expertise it can must be connected to your wrist. GoPro sticks and floats should not allowed on most slides.

Imperial Membership Lounge – what makes this nice worth for households

We had spoken to a couple associates earlier than reserving our keep on the Atlantis they usually all beneficial getting Imperial Membership Lounge entry. Why? As a result of it’s nice worth, particularly for households.

Included after we stayed had been:

breakfast in a much less overwhelming area than the massive buffets, which might be a bonus with youthful youngsters

afternoon tea from 2pm to 4pm

glad hour from 5pm to 7pm with gentle drinks, premium alcoholic drinks and substantial canapés.

Get Imperial Membership Lounge entry and, even with a mattress and breakfast package deal, it will be onerous to go hungry.

Our strategy was to have a big breakfast within the buffet and dip right into a bag of snacks we had introduced with us if tummies rumbled round lunchtime. After that we might go to the Membership Lounge for afternoon tea, give our tummies a fast break and return for glad hour and extra meals.

We discovered that the ‘canapés’ (extra like a small buffet) had been substantial sufficient for supper with cold and hot choices. On our second night time the women ate throughout glad hour and went straight off to youngsters membership leaving us to have a date night time.

Should you’re not huge eaters and go for lounge entry, you’ll wrestle to get worth from half or full board packages.

The membership lounge may be very family-friendly. It’s unfold out throughout two ranges with a quieter space upstairs (adults, head right here) and TV space exhibiting youngsters movies downstairs. You may also use the devoted visitor providers to e book restaurant tables and take a look at.

There’s additionally a non-public seaside space for lounge visitors. This overlooks Palm Jumeirah. We determined to not use it within the brief quantity of down time we had as there was noisy demolition work taking place simply throughout the water.

Eating at Atlantis

Our half board package deal included breakfast and dinner within the Saffron or Kaleidoscope buffets. We might additionally selected to e book one of many al a carte eating places. There have been dietary supplements for 2 of the speciality eating places however that left a handful that had been included in our package deal.

We discovered the meals in Kaleidoscope was wonderful. The primary night was Italian themed which was successful with the youngsters.

On the second night we ate on the En Fuego Mexican restaurant, which has a menu as vibrant as its fiesta-themed interiors.

Make area in your itinerary for one of many premium eating places should you can.

Explorer Membership for youths

This was the women’ favorite factor about staying at Atlantis, which was a little bit of a shock to me. At 10 and 12-years-old I assumed they could be a bit past keep and play. However after we inspired them to strive a half hour taster, they had been hooked. 

That is no regular youngsters membership via. There’s 9 areas the place youngsters can function play, participate in sports activities, learn quietly, craft and use recreation consoles. That’s to not point out a tube slide, interactive video games and coated out of doors play space.

After their first session they had been eager to return for the night, giving us a date night time, and likewise needed one final play the morning earlier than we left.

We had two complimentary classes per day with our Terrace Suite and received our cash’s price!

Lounging by the Atlantis pool

With the youngsters off on the membership, we lastly had the possibility to calm down beside the pool on our last morning. It’s on the Palm aspect of the lodge and is a correct solar lure till mid-afternoon. Water sneakers are a should to guard you ft between your lounger and the pool.

The household pool to the West finish of the lodge is the place to catch the solar on the finish of the day. With extra time it will have been straightforward to spend a day stress-free right here with a e book, cooling off with a drink from the bar and the free ice lollies being handed out by the pool crew.

Late take a look at with out the costs 

We actually didn’t need to go away and with no flight schedule to satisfy – only a 5 hour drive again to Muscat – we determined to remain so long as we might on our last day.

Having Imperial Membership Lounge entry made this a breeze and there was no further cost.

We checked out with visitor providers, they organized for our baggage to enter storage and gave us visitor passes for the remainder of the day. We had been ready to make use of the youngsters membership, pool and lounge (together with the meals, drinks and bathe services) till we determined to depart. 

Remaining ideas on Atlantis The Palm in Dubai and worth for cash

We liked our keep and, regardless of the hefty price ticket, might see the place we received worth again by way of the inclusive actions, wonderful meals and premium drinks within the lounge.

Imperial Membership Lounge entry was an actual no brainer and I’m actually glad we received extra youngsters membership classes with our suite improve. The ladies would have been been unhappy to to not go once more AND we’d have missed out on a uncommon date night time.

Then there have been these Palm views. Should you’ve seen any of my posts about Dubai on Instagram you’ll know I’ve a love/hate relationship with this place – I’m extra of a tradition and nature lady. However this metropolis of glitz and wild visitors jams was wanting fairly gorgeous from our eighth flooring balcony.

The water park and aquarium are good enjoyable and you may simply fill a day with these actions (price a 1,200 AED or £240 for a household for 4 should you’re not staying on the lodge). And you may go to as typically as you need throughout your keep.

All of us agreed that two nights on the Atlantis was nowhere close to sufficient, even when we couldn’t stretch the price range additional this time. I might have fortunately received worth out of some days stress-free by the pool and people free-flowing glad hours.

Examine costs and availability for Atlantis The Palm

FAQs about Atlantis

Extra tried and examined locations to remain in Dubai

We drove as much as Dubai just a few instances whereas dwelling in Oman, so tried out just a few locations to remain. Learn extra of my critiques of resorts in Dubai:

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