ABOVE TOP: A mixture of neutral tones, white marble, dark woods, and touches of gold. ABOVE LEFT & MIDDLE: The bathrooms are a delight and come with delightfully scented Graff toiletries plus a vanity box of golden combs and brushes. ABOVE BOTTOM: Skyblaze with Milos behind.

It took eight years to create ‘Atlantis, The Royal’ and it’s a resort unlike any you’ve ever visited. Before I got to see and experience it for myself though, I did ask myself whether Dubai really needed a second Atlantis. We tried the original – ‘Atlantis, The Palm’ – soon after it opened (at the end of 2008) and while it was huge with 1,500 rooms, it also offered an incredible family experience of: delight – with its astonishing aquariums; fun – with its waterpark; and leisure – with its vast array of world-class restaurants that were new to Dubai (like Nobu, among others). There were some limitations though: the fit and finish wasn’t perfect, it was a little overwhelming at times, and the service wasn’t always quick or efficient. As such, I didn’t know what to expect of the new one. All I knew was that it resembled a giant game of Tetris stacked along the outer edge of Palm Jumeirah.

Now, first impressions matter and the positives began the moment I collected my luggage and made my way out of the airport, passing the Atlantis office at arrivals. It’s there that they assign you a chauffeur-driven Mercedes V-Class and not only was this process easy, it was also quicker than getting a free car from Emirates’ Business Class car service. And with complimentary WiFi, chilled glass bottles of both sparkling and still mineral water and plenty of wet towels to refresh my weary brow, I arrived at the hotel 35 minutes later in a happy state, ready to take in the marvels on offer.

A good thing too, as my first sensation was one of utter astonishment. The new Atlantis simply beggars belief. (As well it might considering it cost 1.6 billion USD to build). But the scale of it is off the charts: imagine a hotel whose building – not land – measures half a kilometre in length, reaches 178 metres in height and boasts 406,000 square metres of built-up area and you’ll get the gist of it. In effect, the ‘Atlantis, The Royal’ is larger than any casino in Las Vegas, and that’s some feat. And its Tetris-style design saves it from being a monstrous block, allowing a porousness for people, light, and air in what is best described as a ‘deconstruction’ of the traditional sculptural towers normally associated with Dubai. “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,” explains James von Klemperer, president and design principal of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the NY-based firm entrusted to create the hotel (and whose portfolio includes such aesthetically inventive properties as the Aman Tokyo, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, and the Ritz-Carlton Toronto).

Where anything can be upgraded, it has been at the Atlantis and that goes for even the entrance, for here you enter through a “firefall,” a dichotomic combination of fire and water, which is a theme that’s repeated many times around the property. Comprising a tall reflective wall of glass within which there’s a stream of rippling water and programmable plumes of fire. It takes you by surprise, that’s for sure. (While on the subject, the best expression of Atlantis’ ‘fire and liquid ice’ show is to be found at the spellbinding Skyblaze, a 28-metre-high fire-breathing water fountain, composed of myriad water forms that jump and dance in time to musical scores.) The main lobby is huge, as you’d expect and there isn’t just one, there are multiple check-in desks including a more private area for those who booked the royal package.

ABOVE LEFT: The Milos Special is an unusual combination of paper-thin zucchini and aubergines, lightly fried to a perfect crisp, stacked high on creamy tzatziki, and paired with savory saganaki cheese. ABOVE RIGHT: Whether it’s wild oysters or delicate ceviche, Milos serves it all with uncomplicated touches such as a pinch of rock salt or a dash of Greek olive oil. above and some Milos shellfish below.

After a swift presentation of my passport and credit card I’m led to my room, which is a fair walk away but, as we proceed, I’m informed that there are in fact six towers on the property. The tallest is 43 storeys, three are dedicated to apartments, and three to the 795-key hotel, spanning 693 rooms, 96 suites, and six penthouses. It seems 44 of the suites even come with oversized terraces and private infinity pools. Now we didn’t book one of those, but our “regular” room, high up in the Sunset Tower was more than large enough. It measured almost 70 square metres, came with a walk-in wardrobe, a large bathroom (with a freestanding bathtub, separate shower, and WC), a large king-bed next to which there was a sofa, a desk, plus a decent sized balcony from where you can take in unobstructed views over the Palm’s snaking fronds. The room was light, airy, restrained even. In fact, I’d go so far as to say tasteful, especially with its neutral colour scheme. I wasn’t even put off by the abundance of gold – think Boca da Lobo gold centre table, a golden based marble desk, gold lights and even golden combs and toothbrushes in the bathroom – as it somehow fits the decadence they’re tapping into here. What’s more, the fit and finish is excellent, and the service is not just fast and efficient, the hotel is wonderfully generous too, offering a surprise gift every night during turn-down service. Forget about chocolates on your pillows, the ‘Atlantis, The Royal’ offers redolent bottles of oud body mist, beautiful glass containers of fresh saffron and even a waterproof case for your smartphone, it’s like Christmas every day here! What I quickly realised is that this resort doesn’t just want to be a luxury destination, it wants to eliminate your need to ever leave. That’s why there’s an incredible array of luxury shopping, a world-class spa and a whopping 17 restaurants within the property (including eight by celebrity chefs). You also have two kilometres of lovely, uncrowded beaches (on what is the largest privately-owned stretch of continuous beachfront in Dubai). You have all sorts of crazy water sports on offer, there are more pools than you’d ever care to count. And you have the pièce de resistance – the Atlantis Aquaventure next door, which has grown since the opening of the original Atlantis and now holds the Guinness World Records title for the most waterslides in a waterpark (50 to be precise). I naturally had to spend a day there, without my kids too – because I didn’t do this trip with them. And I can tell you, it’s worth a visit even if you’re not staying at the Atlantis (although room benefits include daily complimentary access to the water park). My favourite slides were Blackout, which is the tallest vertical drop body-slide in the Middle East, and Odyssey of Terror, the world’s tallest waterslide, which you ride on an inflatable and experience near weightlessness before freefalling down a curved wall.

ABOVE: Cloud 22 is a rooftop infinity pool lounge on the’ sky bridge. ABOVE LEFT: Gastronomy’s salad and juice bar has an installation of faux fruits depicting Giuseppe Arcimboldo. ABOVE RIGHT: Bites at Nobu by the Beach include wagyu sliders, crispy salmon, and an original club sandwich.

Still, for me, the most compelling highlight of Atlantis is its F&B. There is so much good food here, it’s hard for your stomach to keep up. You start your days with breakfast at Gastronomy, which is a Vegas-busting buffet offering no less than 17 live food stations creating more than 100 dishes from six different global cuisines. From an amazing Benediction stand (serving an eggs benedict with smoked turkey breast), to authentic dim sum, to sweet stands, ice creams, the most delicious, salted caramel doughnuts or even a triple chocolate fountain, there’s everything you’d ever want. Should you miraculously have the ability to digest quickly enough for lunch then the resort boasts a great Persian restaurant, after which you can sunbathe to live DJ’s at Nobu by the Beach (the brand’s first pool and beach club). After that, I suggest a cocktail whilst floating in Cloud 22’s infinity pool 22-storeys in the air. You could then try one of Heston Blumenthal’s cocktail creation as you admire 4,000 jellyfish swim in the world’s largest jellyfish tank. And finally, follow that up by dancing into the night on the 23rd floor at Ling Ling (an offshoot of Hakasan). But even then, you’d still be missing out on my favourite place: Estiatorio Milos by famed Greek chef Costas Spiliadis. I loved their fresh seabass ceviche served with white beans, cucumbers, onions, feta and tomatoes. The grilled octopus with Santorini fava and pickled onions was to die for as well. Everyone raves about the Milos special, which is a millefeuille of wafer-thin layers of fried zucchini and aubergine between which they add tzatziki and fried saganaki cheese. And I appreciated finishing off the meal with a Greek yoghurt ice cream drizzled with honey and crunchy breadcrumbs. This restaurant is fantastic, but the location is even better – seated as you are on a terrace bordering the region’s only fire and water fountain. This is what the Atlantis is all about: a mixture of luxury, self-indulgence, and extravaganza. I get it now. Dubai does need a second Atlantis purely because this resort was built for those who can travel anywhere in the world but choose to come here due to the hotel’s compelling proposition. I for one will be back.