When does Dubai's Atlantis The Royal open to the public?

Online reservations are open for booking now, with stays available from next month

The dramatic 11.5-metre-tall sculpture, Droplets, sits in the lobby. All photos: Getty Images for Atlantis Dubai

In keeping with the water theme, droplet-shaped light fixtures hang in the lobby area

Atlantis The Royal Residences' penthouses

A sky pool suite

The arrival experience

The resort's exterior landscaping

A sky garden shows how the resort has incorporated greenery at all levels

One of the property's 90 pools

The royal pool suite

The royal panoramic penthouse

Dramatic water features are a recurring element in the luxury property

The resort's indoor lap pool

Living areas in the royal sky view suite

The exterior of the much-anticipated luxury hotel

The hammam

Atlantis The Royal consists of six towers connected by a 90-metre-long sky bridge

This weekend, the much-anticipated Atlantis The Royal held its grand reveal to much fanfare.

A-list celebrities — from Kendall Jenner and Rebel Wilson to Amir Khan — gathered at the five-star property for an invite-only preview, alongside VIPs, dignitaries and media, as Beyonce performed live for the first time in four years, making international headlines.

It was vaguely reminiscent of the Atlantis, The Palm launch party in 2008, when Kylie Minogue performed, and stars in attendance included actors Charlize Theron and Robert De Niro, basketball player Michael Jordan, singer Natalie Imbruglia and business mogul Sir Richard Branson.

Is Atlantis The Royal open?

Not yet. The hotel is, however, accepting bookings for stays from February 10.

Although it has yet to officially announce an opening date, in October the hotel opened online reservations for stays beginning March 4. This has since been brought forward.

The only option available to book online on February 10, and on the following weekend, February 17 and 18, is a three-bedroom sky terrace suite, which is priced at Dh17,417 ($4,742) a night, if booked in advance.

What's inside Atlantis The Royal?

The resort, the opening of which has been anticipated for years, spans 63 hectares and houses 795 rooms and suites, with countless hospitality venues and no fewer than 90 swimming pools.

Dramatic water features, vertical gardens and an expansive sky bridge are among the defining design features of the mega resort. Sitting brazenly on the outer crescent of the Palm, its dominating silhouette has already become an integral part of Dubai’s skyline.

“We were asked to dream big on this project. To create something unique and iconic for Dubai — and when I look at it now, I’m amazed by the audacity of the whole undertaking,” says James von Klemperer, president and design principal of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the architecture firm behind the hotel.

“I’m bowled over by what’s been built, with its vertical piling up of outdoor experiences in the pools, outside spaces and remarkable design features at every turn," says von Klemperer. "The gardens in the sky, first imagined in sketches on paper, are now realised hundreds of feet above the ground.”

There will be 17 restaurants at the resort, including the Middle East's first Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, from the famed British chef; Cantonese restaurant Hakkasan; and Ariana's Persian Kitchen by the Iranian-American celebrity TV chef and cookbook author Ariana Bundy.

Who owns Atlantis The Royal?

Kerzner International is the owner and developer of Atlantis The Royal, as well as other luxury developments and residences, plus gaming and entertainment experiences.

It operates four brands: Atlantis Resorts and Residences, One&Only Resorts, Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and Siro Hotels.

Scroll through the gallery below to see celebrities attend Atlantis The Royal's grand reveal weekend

A version of this article was originally published on January 10, 2023