Beyoncé live show to open Dubai ultra-luxury resort Atlantis the Royal doesn’t disappoint. Kendall Jenner, Jay-Z and Rebel Wilson among the guests

Atlantis the Royal is all about opulence: from its Moët vending machines to its 90-plus swimming pools and large collection of celebrity chef restaurants

Its three-day opening party, with a rare live performance by Beyoncé, was attended by celebrities including Kendall Jenner, Rebel Wilson and Jay-Z

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Beyoncé performs at the launch party for Dubai’s latest luxury resort, Atlantis The Royal. Photo:
Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal

Published: 7:15pm, 25 Jan 2023

Even by Dubai’s anything-goes architectural standards, the new Atlantis the Royal is remarkable for its audacity – which is, perhaps, one reason why its very wealthy owners decided the high-end resort warranted a no-expenses-spared launch party last weekend featuring a live performance by Beyoncé, her first in five years.

I was one of the 1,500 or so people watching the show that night, the pinnacle of a three-day bacchanalian gathering that far surpassed any other hotel opening I’ve experienced in well over a decade of writing about luxury travel. It begs the question: what is it about Atlantis the Royal that has allowed for this level of confidence and warrants such unprecedented extravagance?

Part of the Kerzner International hospitality group, Atlantis the Royal is a colossal new sibling to Atlantis the Palm, which, in 2008, opened on the crown of the man-made, palm-shaped Palm Jumeirah island.

Seven years in the making, the newer landmark is a 15-minute walk from its predecessor and Kerzner’s aim is that it will be even better: they’re calling it “the most ultra-luxury experiential resort in the world”. (In keeping with Dubai’s penchant for global superlatives, you pass Atlantis Aquaventure, the world’s largest water park, when you walk between both properties – hotel guests get complimentary access throughout their stay.)

Atlantis The Royal has 795 hotel rooms and suites on one side, and massive residences on the other. Photo: Atlantis The Royal

At 43 storeys, and 178 metres, tall, the 500-metre-long building seems unfathomable when you see it for real. A succession of blocks placed Jenga-style atop each other, it’s divided into massive private residences on one side and 795 hotel rooms and suites on the other.