Complimentary daytime sessions at the kids club normally £40 a session - this is the first time our kids have ever been to a kids club on hol and they loved it and went for a couple of hours most afternoons
We paid around £280 to upgrade and it is definitely worth doing. With the alcohol, snacks, soft drinks and kids club sessions, we probably saved around £200 a day by having the upgrade.
On the first day we went to the pools, the beach and generally explored the hotel, which was amazing and themed around an underwater adventure.. The pools were huge and everywhere was just beautiful.
I'd been worried about the heat, but although it was hot it wasn't unbearable. Spending most of the day in the pool certainly helped!
The kids went to kids club from 4pm until 6pm, so we went and got ready for the evening, before heading to the Imperial Club Lounge for drinks at 5pm.
One thing we were surprised about was how much more relaxed Dubai now is about dress code. When we first visited, 10 years ago, Simon had to wear trousers and a shirt in the evening, even at the hotel. However, the Atlantis is much more relaxed and there is a real mix of super glam and more laid back casual.
On our first evening we'd made reservations at Gordan Ramsey's Bread Street Kitchen. We had to pay a supplement of £10 per adult, but it was well worth it. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we went back twice! I've decided to do a separate post on dining at the Atlantis, which I'll be posting shortly.
On the second day we went to Aquaventure, which is the hotel's own Waterpark. Guests staying at the hotel get complimentary access, as well as free use of towels in the park. The park was great. A fab mix of rides and a big lazy river, which links to the more exhilarating, but still child-friendly Rapids. The kids also loved the Torrent, which is basically a lazy river with waves. The kids play area was great too and catered for all our children in though Oscar is three years older than the twins. We tended to visit the Waterpark most days.
After day two the days pretty much followed a similar routine - breakfast around 9.30ish, waterpark/pool or beach, kids club for the kids around 3ish until 6pm, during which Simon and I would relax, enjoy a cocktail, get ready for the evening before heading to the Lounge around 5ish. At 6pm, we'd collect the kids and head back to the Lounge for an hour, before dinner at around 7.30pm. Dinner would take a couple of hours, so we'd then head to bed afterwards.
Mid-way through the week, we took the hotel's complimentary shuttle bus to The Mall of the Emirates, where Simon and Oscar had a couple of hours on the slope at Ski Dubai. The twins were pretty tired from the mornings antics, so they had a nice long nap in their buggy, allowing me to enjoy a Starbucks and read my book - bliss!
Normally on holiday we tend to venture out lots. However, this time we only went out once to the mall. The Atlantis has so many pools, restaurants and things to see and do that there was no need to go anywhere. They cater for families so well. The hotel is super family friendly, but at the same time has ultra luxurious surroundings and great restaurants meaning that adults feel just as spoilt as the kids.
We would love to go back, in fact we've already started looking for next year... Although it appears that the Atlantis no longer allow five in a room, so it looks like this might be our one and only trip to the, which makes me so sad! We all had an amazing time, we just wished we'd stayed longer, especially now as we might not be able to return!
So, have we managed to find a family-friendly alternative to the Las Vegas luxury we enjoyed pre-kids..? Absolutely, in fact, it might even have one up on Vegas as it has a beach!
Where's your favourite place to go on holiday with kids?
J x
