Atlantis, The Palm

Last updated
Atlantis, The Palm
Hotel Atlantis at Sunset, The Palm - Dubai (49510861268).jpg
Atlantis, The Palm
Hotel chain Atlantis, The Palm
General information
Location Jumeirah Palm, Dubai
Construction started2006 [1]
OpeningSeptember 24, 2008 (2008-09-24)
Management Kerzner International Resorts
Height93.0 m (305.1 ft)
Technical details
Floor count22
Design and construction
Developer Kerzner International Resorts
Other information
Number of rooms1,544 [2]
Number of suitesSuites (Regal, Terrace, Executive)
Super Suites (Royal Bridge, Grand Atlantis, Underwater, Presidential)
Website
www.atlantis.com/dubai/atlantis-the-palm
[3] [4] [5]

Atlantis, The Palm is a luxury hotel resort located at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah in the United Arab Emirates. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is themed on the myth of Atlantis [6] but includes distinct Arabian elements. The resort opened on September 24, 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar World. [7]

Contents

Hotel

The 1,544 room nautically themed resort has two accommodation wings, consisting of the East and the West Tower. It is complemented by the Aquaventure water park and the Lost Chambers Aquarium, home to over 65,000 marine animals. Atlantis, The Palm is also known as the culinary destination in the region where guests can take their pick from a collection of 35 world-renowned restaurants including Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Street Pizza, Hakkasan, Nobu, En Fuego, Seafire Steakhouse & Bar and the award-winning underwater restaurant, Ossiano. [8]

Underwater rooms

The Poseidon and Neptune Underwater Suites at Atlantis The Palm are two of only a tiny handful of underwater hotel rooms around the world, and regularly appear in lists of the world's most unique accommodation.

Measuring 165 m2 (1,780 sq ft) in total, the upper, entrance floor is at ground level while the master bedroom and en-suite bathroom are submerged. The almost floor to ceiling windows in both the bedroom and bathroom face out on to the resort's Ambassador Lagoon, home to a multitude of exotic sea creatures. [9] The floor-to-ceiling windows includes 65,000 marine animal aquarium in Dubai and will be amazed as sharks, rays and fish glide right past your bed. [10]

Development

Atlantis The Palm, opened on 24 September 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar World. In April 2012, Istithmar World acquired Kerzner's 50-percent stake in the property for US$250 million. The property continues to be managed by Kerzner International Resorts. The conceptual design architects were Northpoint-South Africa. The architect of record was design firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo (WATG) an international firm specializing in Luxury Hotels. The principal contract for the project was awarded to Laing O'Rourke, [11] a multinational construction firm based in United Kingdom. Laing O'Rourke was responsible for the design and construction phases of the 23-story hotel and water park.

Launch

The hotel was officially opened on 24 September 2008. [12]

Days before the opening ceremony, the hotel's grand lobby caught fire [13] and became engulfed in flames which caused concern over the hotel's opening. Work was done to repair the damage caused and the hotel opened on time. [14] [15]

As part of the opening, a light show of moving images was illuminated onto the hotel. 100,000 fireworks, around seven times the amount that were used for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, were let off, lasting 15 minutes. The display of fireworks across the full 5 km (3.1 mi) stretch of The Palm lit up the entire island and Atlantis, The Palm. Custom-made shells shipped in from across the globe created a light spectacle taking off from the 716 firing locations around the island, including 400 balconies at the resort. Display creator Fireworks by Grucci claims the display set a new world record, but records curator Guinness World Records has yet to announce the status. [16] The launch party costed an estimated £15m in total, with Kylie Minogue earning £2m for a 60-minute performance for the hotel's 2,000 guests. [17] [18]

Reception

The Telegraph gave the hotel a 8/10, commending the underwater theme and facilities available. [19] A 2024 review by The Sunday Times gave the hotel a score of 9/10, complimenting the architecture and appeal to all age groups. [20]

Controversy

In October 2007, the hotel received a shipment of 28 bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands, to be used as part of their aquarium exhibit, called Dolphin Bay. The move was decried by several environmental groups, particularly for the fact that the export of dolphins had earlier been banned by the Solomon Islands government (after a similar controversial shipment to Mexico). Hotel managers have said that though the dolphins are being trained to interact with visitors, they will not appear in any sort of show or circus-like performance. They have also stated that the health of the dolphins is paramount; because the bottlenose is not an endangered species, their shipment did not pose a problem. The deal was done with the approval of the United Arab Emirates and Solomon Island governments, through the company Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Centre and Exporters Limited (who had overturned the earlier ban in court). The amount of money paid for the dolphins has not been disclosed. [21] [22]

The hotel faced controversy in 2010 following the captivity of a whale shark, nicknamed Sammy, in an aquarium exhibit for 18 months. [23] The female juvenile was caught off a coast in Jebel Ali in August 2008 after appearing in distress. [24] [25] At the time, whale sharks were listed in appendix 2 of CITES, stipulating that they can "only be held for scientific purposes provided that it does not harm the survival of the species". The captivity sparked outrage among animal rights groups and activists, including PETA and actress Pamela Anderson. [24] Gulf News launched a campaign with thousands of supporters calling for the release of the shark. [26] Atlantis would release a press release, stating:

"After several months of planning, Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai has returned a female whale shark to the waters of the Arabian Gulf from where she was rescued. The Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team utilised their experience and skill to save the animal in compliance with all CITIES regulations."

Ali Bin Saqr Al Suwaidi, president and founder of the Emirates Marine Environment Group, another group involved in the campaign, confirmed the shark was set to be released. [23] Scepticism surrounding the release persisted afterwards due to a lack of images being circulated, with Steve Kaiser, vice president of Marine Science and Engineering at Atlantis, denying the claims of Sammy still being held in captivity. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaWorld</span> American theme park chain

SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by United Parks & Resorts. The parks host shows starring marine mammals, especially dolphins and pinnipeds, as well as zoological displays featuring various other marine animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise Island</span> A resort island in the Bahamas capital city of Nassau

Paradise Island is an island in The Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island, with an area of 277 hectares, is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of New Providence. It is best known for the sprawling resort Atlantis with its extensive water park rides, pools, beach, restaurants, walk-in aquarium and casinos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kish Island</span> Iranian resort island in the Persian Gulf

Kish, is a 91.5-square-kilometre (35.3 sq mi) resort island in Bandar Lengeh County, Hormozgan Province, off the southern coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. The island constitutes the city of Kish. Owing to its free trade zone status, the island is marketed as a consumer's paradise, offering shopping centers, tourist attractions, and resort hotels. It has an estimated population of around 40,000 residents and about 12 million visitors annually.

Solomon 'Sol' Kerzner, was a South African accountant and business magnate. He founded both of South Africa's largest hotel groups, the Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International. He was also the founder, chairman and CEO of Kerzner International. During his career in the resort industry, he was involved in various political and business controversies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubai Islands</span> Island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai Islands, formerly known as the Deira Islands are four artificial islands off the coast of Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The project was initially called Palm Deira and was planned to be part of the Palm Islands. As of 2021, little development has taken place on the islands due to the financial crisis of 2007–2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Jumeirah</span> Human-made archipelago in Dubai, UAE

The Palm Jumeirah is an archipelago of artificial islands on the Persian Gulf in Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is part of a larger series of developments called the Palm Islands, including Palm Jebel Ali and the Dubai Islands, which, when completed, will together increase Dubai's shoreline by a total of 520 kilometres (320 mi). It has a population of over 25,000 as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwater World, Singapore</span> Former oceanarium in Singapore

Underwater World, also known as Underwater World Singapore Pte Ltd, was an oceanarium located on the offshore Singaporean island of Sentosa. It was opened on 13 May 1991 and closed on 26 June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantis Paradise Island</span> Ocean-themed resort in the Bahamas

Atlantis Paradise Island is an ocean-themed casino resort located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The resort spans 154-acre (62 ha) and includes a waterpark, marine habitat, and other recreational facilities. It is built around the Aquaventure waterscape and features multiple hotel towers, including The Royal, Coral, Beach, Cove, and Reef Towers.

The government of Dubai took a decision to diversify from a trade-based, oil-reliant economy to one that is service and tourism-oriented. This has made real estate and other developments more valuable, thus resulting in a property boom from 2004 to 2006. Construction on a large scale has turned Dubai into one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. There are a number of large-scale projects which are currently under construction or are to be constructed in the future. Due to the heavy construction which is taking place in Dubai, 30,000 construction cranes, which are 25% of cranes worldwide, are operating in Dubai. Due to the burst of construction, Dubai has acquired various building-related records, which include: the world's tallest tower, the world's largest shopping mall, the world's largest fountain and the world's tallest hotel. Also under construction is Dubailand, which will be almost twice the size of the Walt Disney World Resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Istithmar World</span> Investment firm based in Dubai, UAE

Istithmar World (Arabic: استثمار, romanized: istithmar; for "investment" is an investment firm based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This company is a state-run business owned by Dubai World, a Dubai government-owned company, and was established in 2003. Originally known as "Istithmar," the company was renamed as "Istithmar World" in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Monorail</span> Monorail line in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Palm Monorail is a monorail line on the Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is operated by the UK-based Serco. The monorail connects the Palm Jumeirah to the mainland, with a planned further extension to the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. The line opened on April 30, 2009 as the Palm Jumeirah Monorail. It is the first monorail in the Middle East.

Atlantis Resorts, a subsidiary of Kerzner International, is a resort company that was created to operate the Atlantis resorts in Dubai, and Sanya (China). Kerzner operates three resorts that include Atlantis The Palm, Dubai; Atlantis Sanya, China; and Atlantis The Royal, Dubai. The Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas is no longer owned or operated by Kerzner and is now owned by Brookfield Asset Management LLC and operated by Marriott International's Autograph Collection Hotels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourist attractions in Dubai</span> Overview of tourist attractions in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

There are many tourist attractions in Dubai, resulting from the large scale construction boom. Dubai received 14 million tourists from all around the world in 2015. Euromonitor ranked the world's 150th most visited city by international tourists in 2009; Dubai ranked 7th. Dubai welcomed 14.36M visitors in 2022. Dubai's economy relies on many sections of the "state", one of the most important being tourism, in 2014 total 70,475,636 passengers traveled through Dubai Airport.

Fairmont The Palm is a five-star hotel located on the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The hotel is located on world’s largest man-made island shaped in the form of a palm tree. Fairmont The Palm, has views of the Persian Gulf and provide access to the Dubai Marina and business hubs such as Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Knowledge Village. The hotel has 381 rooms and suites, including two presidential suites and a Fairmont Gold Lounge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Life Park</span> Aquarium on Sentosa, Singapore

The Marine Life Park is a part of Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa, situated in southern Singapore. The 8-hectare (20-acre) park is home to two primary attractions—the S.E.A. Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark. Upon its opening in 2012, the S.E.A. Aquarium had the distinction of being the world’s largest oceanarium and public aquarium, a title it held through 2014, until it was surpassed by Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Dubai</span>

Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates and is roughly at sea level. The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the. Hatta, a minor exclave of the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. Dubai is positioned at 25.2697°N 55.3095°E and covers an area of 1,588 sq mi (4,110 km2), which represents a significant expansion beyond its initial 1,500 sq mi (3,900 km2) designation due to land reclamation from the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantis The Royal, Dubai</span> Luxury hotel resort in Dubai

Atlantis The Royal, Dubai is a hotel resort at the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

References

  1. ↑ Husain, Shakir (9 October 2006). "Construction of Atlantis resort project set to peak in February". Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Hotel Rooms and Suites Atlantis The Palm Dubai". www.atlantisthepalm.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  3. ↑ "Emporis building complex ID 112406". Emporis . Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ↑ "Atlantis, The Palm". SkyscraperPage .
  5. ↑ Atlantis, The Palm at Structurae
  6. ↑ http://www.atlantisthepalm.com Archived 2009-05-24 at the Wayback Machine Atlantis
  7. ↑ Ahmed Hussein (November 25, 2008). "Landmark project Atlantis, The Palm officially launched amidst grand ceremony". EstatesDubai. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Atlantis, The Palm: The Resort". Atlantis, The Palm: The Resort. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  9. ↑ Underwater Hotel Rooms in Dubai
  10. ↑ "Underwater Suite in Dubai". Atlantis.
  11. ↑ "Atlantis, The Palm. Dubai. United Arab Emirates". Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  12. ↑ CW Staff (10 June 2010). "UK giant Laing O'Rourke denies ME withdrawal". Construction Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  13. ↑ Cronin, Sean. "Atlantis bosses say fire-hit resort will open on time". Arabian Business.
  14. ↑ "Atlantis fire casts doubt on opening". gulfnews.com. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  15. ↑ Harnan, Eugene (2008-09-02). "Police investigate Atlantis fire". The National. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  16. ↑ http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/atlantis-fireworks-display-seeks-place-in-guinness-book-1.17275 Archived 2014-12-27 at the Wayback Machine Atlantis fireworks display seeks place in Guinness Book of World Records
  17. ↑ Bhatia, Shekhar (21 November 2008). "500 chefs, 4,000 lobsters and Kylie - recession Dubai style". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  18. ↑ "Wow! Kylie Minogue to be paid £2million for 60-minute set at Dubai hotel opening party". Evening Standard . 11 September 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  19. ↑ "Atlantis, The Palm Dubai, United Arab Emirates". The Telegraph. 1 April 2019. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  20. ↑ "Atlantis The Palm hotel review: a Dubai palace with entertainment for the whole family". The Sunday Times. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ↑ 28 dolphins on way to Palm hotel Archived October 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Gulf News (16 October 2007).
  22. ↑ Wild dolphins adapt to indoor life Archived October 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Gulf News (27 October 2007).
  23. 1 2 "Sammy the whale shark freed in Dubai". Gulf News. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Atlantis frees Sammy the whale shark". Hotelier Middle East. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. 1 2 "Satellite tag reveals tale of shark Sammy in the wild". Gulf News. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ↑ "Sammy the Whale Shark Sent to Sea". Khaleej Times. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ↑ Kho, Nancy Davis (January 5, 2011). "Evans & Brown murals commissioned worldwide". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.