The Emiratis certainly deserve credit for creating a fantasy world out here out of nothing, spinning stories around it and selling these stories to tourists. And the best thing - they get expats to do all this.
Atlantis, The Palm is a prime example of this.
Shortly after the helicopter ride was complete, we stepped into the famed Atlantis, The Palm next door to see first hand what people we know in Mumbai have been going crazy about.
Atlantis, The Palm is a hotel located at the apex of the Palm Jumeirah. It was the first hotel to be built on the island. The intention was to theme the hotel on the myth of Atlantis but includes distinct Arabian elements.
The hotel is massive - it has 1539 rooms and has two wings, also referred to as the Royal Towers, consisting of the East and the West Tower. These towers are linked through the Royal Bridge Suite. To complement the novelty of the hotel, there is a Aquaventure water park and the locally popular Nasimi Beach, which which is the scene of concerts and events.
Indeed the architecture is massive and impressive...
But the decor is outlandish and garish...
And I was extremely put off by soiled seating in the lobby, which was noisy and crowded as hell. Even airport check-in counters are a lot more peaceful...
A beehive shaped chandelier...
Heading to the East Tower...
Opulent, but classy, well that's the big question...
Arabian opulence...
Chinese ceramicware on display...
The Lost Chambers - the in-house aquarium of the Atlantis...
This sting ray seemed to have taken a fancy to us - it circled around us for a while...
Shoals of fish...
Another kind of sting ray...
Indeed the Atlantis is a fantasy world - an engineering and architectural marvel. There is no doubt that there is some degree of novelty in this place, but it isn't classy - it's loud, garish and for sure doesn't appeal to my sensibilities...
No comments:
Post a Comment