Atlantis The Palm, Dubai: The perfect family getaway

Atlantis The Palm in Dubai was the first resort to be built on the man-made island of Palm Jumeriah and offers families a world-class experience.

It is an epicentre of fun and adventure! This captivating resort offers a plethora of award-winning culinary experiences and water adventures; sometimes combined for an unforgettable experience!

The resort stands on its own private sandy beach with stunning views of the Arabian Gulf and is truly comfortable; luxurious and perfect for a memorable family holiday or couples getaway.

In this article you will find all the information you need to know before starting your stay at Atlantis the palm in Dubai.

From check-in to all the activities you can do there.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Location

Located at the top of Palm Jumeriah Island, Atlantis Dubai is a huge beachfront resort with over :

• 1,500 rooms

• 28 restaurants

• A huge aquarium

• And its main attraction, the Aquaventure water park.

Getting here by car is fairly easy. Just outside the hotel is a beautiful oceanfront promenade, but otherwise there's not much to walk to.

A short five-minute walk will take you to the restaurants; shops and other attractions around the Palm.

The iconic Atlantis building consists of a central atrium and two towers or wings.

A few years ago, the property received negative reviews about it, starting to show signs of wear and tear.

However, since extensive renovations were completed in 2019, the reviews have been excellent.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Check-in

When you arrive, you are driven to the main entrance where someone will assist you with your luggage. The main entrance takes you into a large circular atrium where there is a beautiful glass display case.

On one side are several desks with agents that you can approach for check-in. On the other side are the concierges, who can answer general questions and concerns.

The registration process will go smoothly. The agents are good at giving you an overview of the resort; but if you have any other questions about transportation, promotions, or on-site activities, you're better off asking the concierge or activity booking desks.

When you check in, they also give you a thick monthly magazine with information on everything the resort has to offer for the month. The Dubai Atlantis app is also a great source of information.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Two Bedroom Family Room

The 2 bedroom family room is actually made up of 2 interconnecting rooms. The door that connects the two can be closed for privacy if you are separating between families.

The rooms are spacious and clean, with a modern, aqua-themed decoration.

From the window, we can see the fish swimming in the aquarium below, which the children will really enjoy. Beyond, there was a view of the ocean.

One room has a king bed and the other has two queen beds. Each room also has a loveseat that can be converted into a single bed.

There is also a desk, a minibar and a bathroom in each room.

Having two bathrooms was really convenient for our family. Both bathrooms have a bathtub and shower, with a sliding door in front of the bathtub so you can have a direct view of the room and beyond.

They also provide a complimentary beach bag, slippers, dressing gowns and unlimited bottled water in each room.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Breakfast

We were on a half board basis; which included breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is served at the Kaleidoscope or the Saffron; where a hearty buffet breakfast is served.

They had traditional breakfast stations that served baked goods; pancakes, waffles and bacon, as well as omelettes to order.

There were also stations serving Indian and Asian dishes; including a made-to-order noodle soup station. For those who need a bit of a morning buzz, there are also free-flowing mimosas available.

If you opt for the standard room rate, the normal cost of breakfast is AED 170 (€50) for those aged 12 and over and half price for children. You can buy coffee and small bites like croissants, pastries and wraps at Poseidon Café or Starbucks.

I personally liked the breakfast buffet, as it kept us full until mid-afternoon.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Dining

With 29 restaurants on site, the Atlantis has no shortage of options. But be prepared to pay a premium for them.

Fortunately, less than a 10-minute drive away is The Pointe - an area of The Palm that's home to 80 food, retail and entertainment outlets.

Although there are in-room fridges to store food overnight, unfortunately there is nothing in the room to heat it up.

There are also plenty of snack bars in the Aquaventure water park where you can grab a bite to eat. The prices are high, but not outrageous. For example, a chicken wrap costs AED 48 (€15) and a burger costs AED 60 (€18).

With the half-board package, you can choose to dine at any of the 14 restaurants. There is an additional charge at four of the fancier restaurants - Nobu, Ossiano, Seafire Steakhouse and Hakkasan.

• Ronda Locatelli

Children can order from the children's menu or the main menu. You can order a starter, main course and dessert as part of the half-board package. The portions are very good.

If you have young children, Ronda Locatelli or its neighbouring restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen, are good options. There is outdoor seating where you can enjoy the adjacent Little Atlantis playground.

Saffron's Asian-themed international buffet is a treat. The decor of the restaurant is very open, clean and modern.

Once you enter the restaurant, the first thing you see is their extensive dessert station, which serves cakes, churros, ice creams, macaroons and sweets, among others.

There is a cold seafood station in the middle of the restaurant that also serves sushi.

A meat cutting station with your usual filling was flanked by stations serving Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Indian dishes.

Normally, the buffet dinner costs AED 245 (€79) for adults and half price for children. For a family of 5, this would have been a whopping AED 858 (€275)!

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Aquaventure Water Park

The Aquaventure water park was the highlight of our stay. With over 105 rides and attractions, this water park is huge but also very well maintained.

If your time at the water park is limited, I highly recommend checking the water park map beforehand to prioritise the rides you want to experience.

Looking at the cost of accommodations at Atlantis, you may just want to consider purchasing a day pass for the water park and staying off-site at one of the Marriott properties or at the Andaz on The Palm. Admission tickets, however, are certainly not cheap.

For adults and children over 1.2 metres tall, the cost is AED 299 (€95) and AED 249 (€80) for children under 1.2 metres.

Children under two years of age receive free admission.

The 1.2 metre distinction relates to height restrictions on some rides. Most rides use this threshold, but there are also family rides where the threshold is 1 metre.

Off-site customers also have to pay a fee of AED 35 (€11.25) per towel; unless you bring your own. The costs start to add up even for a small family, so it may be better to stay on site.

If you have toddlers and younger children under 1.2 metres, you'll want to relax around :

• Splashers Island

• Splashers Mountain

• Splashers Cove

• Splashers Lagoon.

There is ample seating throughout the water park and life jackets are readily available.

There are three towers:

• Neptune Tower

• Poseidon Tower

• Trident Tower.

Aquaventure Water Park - important facts

In general, the rides here are for people over 1.2 metres tall; but some of the family rides have a height restriction of just under 1 metre.

There are also two incredible lazy rivers. We've been on a few lazy rivers in Florida, but these were of a higher standard with different speeds and experiences throughout. At over 2km in length, it takes 45 minutes to do the full lap of the river!

If you have young children aged 4-12 and want some time to enjoy the adult slides, consider dropping them off at the Atlantis Kids Club, which is open daily from 10am-10pm.

They run a morning, afternoon and evening session with activities planned throughout. Each stay entitles you to one free three-hour session, as long as it is not an evening session.

Dolphin and sea lion experiences can also be arranged for a premium price. Emirates and Atlantis Dubai have a partnership and by simply being an Emirates Skywards member; you are entitled to a 15% discount on dolphin swimming experiences by adding your Skywards number when booking or checking in.

However, you may need to ask a manager to apply the discount manually, as the activities desk does not seem to be aware of this.

The Entertainer app also offers 2-for-1 deals for certain dolphin encounters and other Atlantis attractions.

By purchasing a tourist pass for AED 200 (€64); you will have access to 2-for-1 coupons for restaurants, attractions and hotels in Dubai.

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - Other facilities and activities

We didn't have much time to explore the other facilities and activities on site; but there is plenty here to keep you busy and entertained.

There are a variety of shops (including a toy shop), outdoor pools; a gym, outdoor tennis courts and a full service spa.

There is a daily activity programme of challenges, tours and animal experiences. Some of these are free and some are chargeable.

Live entertainment options are offered nightly at various on-site venues.

The Lost Chambers Aquarium is another major attraction here, consisting of underwater tunnels and chambers that house 65,000 marine animals, including sharks and stingrays.

You can arrange educational tours; snorkelling and water walking experiences here for an additional fee.

Finally, try to catch the Palm Fountain show on the water at The Pointe. It runs every night every 30 minutes starting at 7pm and lasts three minutes. I would also suggest dining while you are there.

Conclusion

Atlantis Dubai is a huge luxury resort in the United Arab Emirates that will be great fun for the whole family. I would recommend spending at least two or three days here if you can.

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