Inside "World's Most Ultra-Luxury Resort", At $100,000 A Night

From the instant you step via the the front entrance, Atlantis the Royal places on a display. Water pours down inner glass walls, whilst hearthplace periodically flashes up. The strain to submit to Instagram is immediate, due to the fact you`ve arrived on the self-titled “maximum ultraluxury” lodge withinside the world. This isn’t always the world, aleven though. It’s Dubai, in which “ultraluxury” has a selected that means and nouveau riche aesthetics are giddily embraced. Wealth like this changed into made to flaunt, now no longer accrue silently in financial savings accounts. Ultraluxury is over-the-top, clad with gold and marble.

That’s what the $1.2 billion Atlantis the Royal, the modern day belongings from Dubai-primarily based totally hotelier Kerzner International Ltd., brought with a “Grand Reveal” display in January starring Beyonce: And it is what visitors have skilled due to the fact that its 795 rooms opened in mid-February.

The adventure of opulence starts offevolved withinside the lodge lobby, in which the unifying subject of water (Atlantis, remember?) is hammered domestic with a towering aquatic sculpture and pool cutouts withinside the ground into which visitors sometimes tumble. Check-in happens at unmarked golden counters, which require steady buffing with microfiber towels to cast off dreadful signs of human presence which include fingerprints.

Company officers to start with garnered headlines via way of means of pronouncing the top-degree suite, the Royal Mansion, could cost $100,000 a night time. Now a spokeswoman is demure approximately the price, pronouncing it is to be had upon request. And in February, Louis Vuitton booked the room for a non-public buying event, so I could not visit. Instead, I changed into proven the Panoramic Penthouse, which took my breath away-beginning at a hundred thirty five,260 dirhams ($36,825), plus 22% in taxes, it had better. Shampoos and different facilities in rooms come from Hermès, Frette and Graff. On one aspect of the lodge, visitors have an unobstructed view of the blue-inexperienced Persian Gulf. The different aspect appears out over the fronds of the man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago and the mansions of billionaires and royalty.

I stayed in a Seascape King, one of the primary rooms, however I use the time period lightly. The studio begins offevolved at approximately 4,a hundred thirty five dirhams a night time in excessive season. It’s big sufficient for a king-length bed, lounger and desk, and spacious closets. The furnishings is comfortable, and facilities withinside the grand toilets consist of golden toothbrushes, combs, a returned scrubber, flip-flops and a seashore bag, all of which may be taken domestic with out charge.

For a lodge promising that “some thing high-quality takes place at each second of your stay,” the primary rooms lack a wow factor. They’re beautiful, sure, and the perspectives are phenomenal. I changed into excited to look a excessive-tech Toto emblem bidet rest room with a heated seat, aleven though that made me want the rest room flooring have been heated, too. (Clearly, I’m getting spoiled.)

But this isn’t always a lodge in which visitors cover away of their rooms. Instead, they placed on their trendiest beachwear, take selfies in the front of the Bellagio-fashion fountains, buy groceries withinside the Valentino boutique or ee-e book a cabana at one in every of numerous outside lounges. At Nobu via way of means of the Beach, for a further 10,000 dirhams, you and 9 buddies have get admission to to a residing room, a non-public converting region and shower, and a small non-public pool. The charge consists of bottles of Champagne and a few nibbles.

First, however, you may need to get a Botox top-up, ozone dialysis or stem mobileular remedy on the on-webweb page Aeon Clinic for “regenerative wellness.” Or head as much as the real showstopper: the Cloud 22 lounge, an open-air area at the twenty second ground with thumping membership tune and a sturdy wind. An infinity pool with a double ledge is all that separates you from the lodge below. Here, too, you could ee-e book cabanas for a further charge and get your very own plunge pool, which the lodge does not rely as one in every of ninety overall swimming pools at the belongings, such as forty four in non-public suites.

The lovely Awaken spa has gender-segregated rest rooms, however six hammams, or Turkish baths, have not begun to open. The meditation with dolphins application is likewise pending.

The room charge consists of get admission to to Aquaventure, the water park round the corner billed because the world’s largest. My 3-year-vintage daughter had a blast withinside the infant splash areas, and if we had extra time I could have braved the slides with 360-diploma loops and darkish tunnels. With day passes beginning at 315 dirhams for adults, this truly provides to the price you get on your room.

At the lodge, every of the seven superstar chef-helmed eating places has a completely unique vibe and design, however the degree of provider is celestial throughout the board. When we ate lunch at Jaleo via way of means of Jose Andre (get the rossejat, a paella-fashion pasta), 4 distinctive humans requested if we desired a highchair for our daughter. At the breakfast buffet, out of nowhere she were given a hankering for tofu, and the kitchen thankfully furnished a plateful. Meanwhile, I hadn’t completed my latte earlier than my cup changed into taken away and changed with a brand new one-twice.

This is in which Atlantis the Royal earns its call and its ultraluxury reputation. Every few toes as you stroll the grounds, a safety guard, concierge, lifeguard or purifier locations their proper hand on their heart, bows ahead and says hello. All houses run via way of means of Kerzner have followed this obvious Covid-generation gesture, however it truly made me sense like a queen.