Atlantis, The Palm is a hotel resort in located at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is themed on the myth of Atlantis but includes distinct Arabian elements. The resort opened on September 24, 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar World.
The 1,539 room nautically themed resort has two accommodation wings, also referred to as the Royal Towers, consisting of the East and the West Tower, both linked together by the Royal Bridge Suite. It is complemented by the Aquaventure water park and the locally popular Nasimi Beach, which frequently plays host to concerts and other events. In April 2012, Istithmar acquired Kerzner’s 50-percent stake in the property for USD 250 million. The property continues to be managed by Kerzner International Resorts. The architect was design firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo (WATG) an international firm specializing in Luxury Hotels. The principle contractor for the project was awarded to Laing O’Rourke, a multinational construction firm based in United Kingdom. Laing O’Rourke was responsible for the design and construction phases of the 23-storey hotel and water park.
After the construction of the hotel carried out by Laing O’Rourke it was officially opened on 24 September 2008. Guests who attended the event included Charlize Theron, Dan Ilic, Shah Rukh Khan, Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson, Lily Allen, Amit Kumar, Mischa Barton, Chris Tucker, Michael Jordan, Wesley Snipes, Andrea Colognoli, and Lindsay Lohan. Priyanka Chopra was chosen as the Goddess of Atlantis to inaugurate the resort. Australian diva Kylie Minogue performed her debut concert alongside Lebanese singer Nawal Al Zoghbi at the event. As part of the opening, a light show of moving images was illuminated onto the hotel. 100,000 fireworks, around seven times the amount that were used for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, were let off, lasting 15 minutes. The display of fireworks across the full 5 km (3.1 mi) stretch of The Palm lit up the entire island and Atlantis, The Palm. Custom-made shells shipped in from across the globe created a light spectacle taking off from the 716 firing locations around the island, including 400 balconies at the resort. Display creator Fireworks by Grucci claims the display set a new world record, but records curator Guinness World Records has yet to announce the status.
In October 2007, the hotel received a shipment of 28 bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands, to be used as part of their aquarium exhibit, called Dolphin Bay. Hotel managers have said that though the dolphins are being trained to interact with visitors, they will not appear in any sort of show or circus-like performance. They have also stated that the health of the dolphins is paramount, and because the bottlenose is not an endangered species, their shipment did not pose a problem. The deal was done with the approval of the United Arab Emirates and Solomon Island governments, through the company Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Centre and Exporters Limited (who had successfully overturned the earlier ban in court). The amount of money paid for the dolphins has not been disclosed.
