Atlantis The Royal

Atlantis The Royal is the newer and more upmarket of Dubai's two Atlantis hotels. It opened on 10 February 2023 on the Palm Jumeirah crescent with 795 rooms, including 102 suites. Its great strength is food: seventeen restaurants and bars, eight of them run by celebrity chefs. Forbes Travel Guide, the American guide that rates hotels after inspection, gives it five stars, its highest rating.

Atlantis The Royal or Atlantis, The Palm?

The two hotels stand side by side and share the waterpark, the aquarium and the beach. They suit different trips:

• The Royal: larger, newer rooms, 44 suites and penthouses with private pools, and a dining line-up built around fine dining;
• Atlantis, The Palm: the original family resort, bigger and cheaper, with 34 more casual restaurants and the aquarium at its heart.

Shuttles link the two lobbies from 8 am to 3 am, and resort buggies run to the waterpark from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm, local time.

What every night includes

All room categories include, with no advance booking needed:

• daily entry to Aquaventure World, with more than 105 slides, rides and attractions, open from 9.30 am to sunset;
• unlimited access to The Lost World Aquarium, 10 am to 9 pm;
• breakfast at Gastronomy;
• access to the Nobu by the Beach pool (21 and over only) and the Atlantis Explorers Club for children.

If you arrive before the 3 pm check-in, reception stores your luggage and issues a pass for the beach, pools and waterpark from 10 am. On departure day you can still use the waterpark and aquarium in the afternoon.

Choosing a room: Palm view or sea view

Entry-level rooms measure 55 to 60 m², and the view is what sets them apart: the Palmscape King, over the fronds of Palm Jumeirah, suits a couple; the Seascape Queen, with a sea view and two beds, is the family room. Rollaway beds are not available in standard rooms, so a family of four should book a Seascape Queen or two rooms. For a pool of your own, move up to the Sky Pool Villa with its large terrace high above the sea.

Seventeen restaurants and bars

This is the main reason to stay. Among the chef-led venues:

• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, with one Michelin star, British cooking from chef Heston Blumenthal;
• Estiatorio Milos, Greek cuisine overlooking the Skyblaze fountain;
• Ariana's Persian Kitchen, Persian cooking;
• La Mar, Ling Ling and Nobu by the Beach.

For simpler meals there is Gastronomy, the main breakfast restaurant, Malibu 90265, The Royal Tearoom, Elements and Seascapes. In the evening the Skyblaze fountain, with jets of water and fire reaching 28 m, performs in front of the hotel.

The signature restaurants ask for smart casual dress: long trousers for men, no swimwear, flip-flops or sportswear. Most of them apply a minimum age and welcome families until 8.30 pm. See also our food and dining page.

Cloud 22, pools and beach

On the roof, Cloud 22 is an infinity pool with a bar, open to guests aged 21 and over. Down below, the Royal Pool, the Nobu by the Beach pool and the private beach shared by both Atlantis hotels are open from 9 am to sunset. Towels are provided at the beach, pool and waterpark cabanas.

AWAKEN spa

AWAKEN Wellness includes the Elements circuit, with a salt cave, a hydrotherapy pool and a sauna. Like the restaurants and the waterpark, it is open to non-residents. For more wellness stays, see our spa and wellness page.

With children

The hotel works for families if you know the restaurant rules: all restaurants welcome children until 8.30 pm, after which only Gastronomy, Malibu 90265 and The Royal Tearoom accept under-10s. The kids' club is complimentary and the waterpark is included. Children are not allowed in the bars. For a holiday designed around them, see our family and theme parks pages.

Practical information

• Check-in and check-out: 3 pm and 12 noon, local time. You must be 18 or over to book.
• Deposit: AED 2,000 (UAE dirhams) per night, taken at check-in if you want to charge extras to your room.
• Getting there: by taxi, 40 to 60 minutes and about AED 120 to 140 from DXB; 1 hour 30 minutes and AED 280 to 340 from Abu Dhabi airport. Transfers are complimentary for suite and penthouse guests. See our getting around Dubai guide.
• Prices: in October 2026, for a stay in March 2027, the cheapest room was offered at around €1,100 a night for two adults, non-refundable, including taxes and fees, with a possible per-night tourism fee on top.

Sabaro's view

Who it's for: food-loving couples, families who want the waterpark in a calmer hotel than next door, and travellers who want a private pool high above the sea.

Strengths: a rare concentration of top restaurants; waterpark and aquarium included; private pools high above the sea; a 9.2 out of 10 rating on Booking.com (5,620 reviews).

Good to know: this is a very large hotel whose restaurants, spa and waterpark also welcome day visitors; Cloud 22 and the Nobu pool are off limits to under-21s; the nightly deposit is high.