AN OASIS OF OPULENCE

ATLANTIS THE ROYAL AT PALM JUMEIRAH, DUBAI, OWNS ITS TAG OF THE WORLD'S 'MOST ULTRA-LUXURY EXPERIENTIAL RESORT'

- ANINDITA GHOSH

ATLANTIS THE ROYAL, DUBAI, is a thing of beauty. As you drive down the crescent of Palm Jumeirah, the world's "most ultraluxury experiential resort" comes into view—a glass, steel and concrete structure gleaming in the Dubai sun. Forty three storeys high and spread over 406,000 square metres, the resort designed by New York City's Kohn Pederson Fox Associates is enormous, even by Dubai standards. Its unique stepped design, with blocks of rooms placed precariously over each other, makes it quite the tourist attraction. People routinely slow down for a quick photo or two of the edifice before driving by. And it's not just the fancy design that drives its cachet; last year's humdinger of a launch party, where Beyoncé performed and A-listers like Kendall Jenner and Ashley Park attended, has made it a mecca of celebrity spotting. In fact, as I write this, Instagram informs me that Ronaldo has just checked in with his family.

FIRE AND WATER

When I visited the resort last autumn, just at the start of Dubai's pleasant weather season, I did not spot any A-listers, but there were plenty of young, good-looking, and wealthy people to keep up the glamour quotient. There were families of all nationalities, many of them Dubai-based expats and locals who had checked in to experience this temple of luxury and all the delights it offers.