It isn’t often you get invited to the hottest event happening in the world at that time, and it’s safe to say that the newest and possibly the most luxurious resort in the world right now, Atlantis The Royal, put on the event of a lifetime.
The stars well and truly shone over Dubai at the weekend for the grand reveal of Atlantis The Royal, the super-luxury resort on the city’s dazzling Palm Jumeirah location and sister hotel to the equally as iconic Atlantis the Palm. Big name stars of film, TV, music and the catwalk joined the top chefs in the industry, who celebrated the openings of their restaurants across the resort, and the weekend was anchored with a performance from global superstar Beyoncé for her first live gig since 2018. It was quite something to be part of.
With a variety of events taking place over the three days such as launches of on-site restaurants and brands that can be found in and around the resort, as well as seemingly endless activities and experiences to be enjoyed throughout, it safe to say that there was an action-packed agenda, and we are here to tell you all about it.
I knew I was in for something special when I received my Emirates Business Class tickets sent through, while spotting the likes of One Direction’s Liam Payne and also Pussycat Dolls alum Kimberley Wyatt at Heathrow Airport’s Emirates Lounge hinted at the fact that this was to be quite the star-studded event. A chauffeur collection at Dubai Airport allowed my guest and I to spot some of the city’s highlights as we were whisked to the luxurious resort in air-conditioned comfort.
First impressions of the hotel were simply ‘wow’ – from the striking architecture outside to the endless staff members milling around ready to welcome us, escort us and our luggage, answer questions, and buff the shiny floors around us, to the decadent interiors peppered with fire and water. I didn’t know where to look while making my swift entrance.
Rooms are based in one of the three towers, while those lucky and wealthy enough can own a residence here and make use of the 17 restaurants, varying pools, beach, AWAKEN Spa, experiences and also the Aquaventure Waterpark and Lost Chambers Aquarium at the neighbouring Atlantis The Palm. There is certainly enough to keep any guest or resident thoroughly entertained, while enjoying all of the luxuries that the resort has to offer.
During my visit, on the Grand Reveal Weekend, there were plenty of opportunities for me to experience an array of what every guest will enjoy when they book a stay here (the hotel opens to the world on February the 10th) in addition to some one-off experiences that were part of the special weekend.
My agenda included a feast of dreams at the hotel’s food market-inspired ‘Gastronomy’ as well as an invite to the opening of Nobu’s debut pool and beach club, Nobu by the Beach, which saw the man himself and Rebel Wilson officially reveal the new outdoor oasis. Of course, we were all invited to witness the performance of the weekend on Saturday evening, Beyoncé’s multi-million-pound gig, which was followed by a breath-taking fireworks display and an afterparty by DJ supergroup Swedish House Mafia.
In addition to this, there was the opening of contemporary Asian restaurant Ling Ling, and the launch of Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila on the resort’s sky pool, Cloud 22, where the supermodel dazzled in a green dress among guests, while introducing her tequila brand to the region. And before we went to find our places at Beyoncé’s outdoor gig, we were treated to a meal at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the renowned chef’s restaurant, which reinvents medieval British dishes for a contemporary audience.
Before Beyoncé’s long-awaited performance, guests were invited to take to Atlantis The Royal’s Blue Carpet dressed in their finest, and there were certainly some glamorous designer outfits being showcased here.
Beyoncé took to the carpet in a dazzling custom Dolce and Gabbana dress and coat, with shoes from Rene Caovilla and bag from Marzook, before putting on the show of a lifetime. Kendall Jenner, Liam Payne, Rebel Wilson, Ellen Pompeo and Letitia Wright also walked the carpet alongside British TV presenter Mark Wright with wife Michelle Keegan, former Australian Masterchef judge and chef Gary Mehigan, as well as former champion boxer Amir Khan.
Dubai faces Huda and Mona Kattan and Mahira Abdelaziz joined Bollywood stars Sibani Dandekar and Farhah Khan and many more on the carpet that brought together celebrities from the four corners of the globe.
Beyoncé’s performance – her first live show since 2018 – opened with a stunning rendition of the Etta James’ classic, ‘At Last,’ before she treated the star-studded audience to some of her biggest career-spanning hits, including ‘Halo’ and ‘Crazy in love’ while daughter Blue Ivy stunned with her vocals on ‘Brown Skin Girls.’
With powerful vocals, high-energy choreography, and an awe-inspiring production, the global superstar was accompanied by Firdaus, a 48-person all-female orchestra, mentored by Academy Award-winning composer, A.R. Rahman. The Mayyas, an all-female precision dance group from Lebanon, were also featured on stage, with stunning choreography by Emmy-nominated Fatima Robinson.
In a breath-taking finale moment, set against the stunning backdrop of Atlantis The Royal, GRAMMY’s most nominated artist (tied with her husband JAY-Z) was raised sixteen feet into the air amidst one of the world’s unique performance fountains, Skyblaze. Surrounded by a field of water and fire, a powerful rendition of ‘Drunk in Love’ closed the magnificent and awe-inspiring show.
The epic performance was followed by a fireworks extravaganza, lighting up Dubai’s newest icon, in an echo of the 2008 display that launched Atlantis The Palm to the world. Fireworks from the sister resort spread through the sky towards the Royal before the new hotel lit up with pyrotechnics bursting into the sky from all around. It was truly an experience like no other. As the fireworks settled, Swedish House Mafia took to the stage to perform hits, including ‘One’ and ‘Don’t You Worry Child,’ as guests celebrated until the early hours.
Tim Kelly, managing director of Atlantis Dubai says “This is it. Our moment to unveil Atlantis The Royal as the world’s most ultra-luxury entertainment resort has arrived. We’re delighted that global superstar Beyoncé was here to launch this extraordinary resort in an unforgettable way – a true icon, launching an icon. We are excited to begin welcoming guests in February and treat them to an experience that will completely redefine their perspective of luxury.”
Eight years in the making, Atlantis The Royal has been specifically designed to challenge the boundaries of imagination and reshape what ultra-luxury travel means. To find out more, keep an eye out for our dedicated hotel review coming soon.
To be one of the first to stay at Atlantis The Royal, guests can make a reservation at atlantistheroyal.com. Reservations are now open for stays from 10th February 2023 onwards.
