In the last 45 days, Alan Leibman, President of Kerzner International, has made Atlantis, The Palm, his home.
The South African hotelier, along with hundreds of staff from over 40 countries has sampled the restaurants, tested the beds and made sure everything was exceptionally spotless ahead of its soft opening.
The Dh5.5 billion resort opened its doors to guests on Wednesday, although the official launch is set for November.
At home
As part of his job, he stayed at rooms and suites in the hotel, including one of the two Lost Chambers suites (Dh29,500 per night). The master bedroom in these suites has a floor-to-ceiling glass wall offering breathtaking views of the Ambassador Lagoon – a 11-million-litre marine habitat with hundreds of species of marine life, including sharks, manta rays and schools of fishes.
"It's extraordinary. I don't take a bath very often, but I had to turn the bath on and sit there and watch the whale shark and the fish go by," said Leibman, who has been on top of the project for the past four-and-a-half years.
The hotel has 166 suites, including two Royal Suites and two Presidential Suites. The most luxurious, the Dh92,000-a-night Bridge Suite, connects the hotel's east and west towers and features a dining room that seats 18 people.
"When you check-in at the Bridge Suite, you're greeted by a team of butlers, who will organise your personal chef to do your cooking," Leibman said.
Breathtaking views
Even the less opulent suites such as the Terrace Suite (Dh7,250 a night) or the Executive Suite (Dh5,800 a night), offer breathtaking views of the Dubai skyline and the Gulf from spacious couches.
More than 3,000 employees run the resort, including the Royal Towers, Aquaventure water park, Lost Chambers seawater exhibits, marine habitats and restaurants.
Fire and after
The fire that broke out in the hotel's main lobby on September 2 had left many doubtful about the opening. "I was staying in the hotel that night and was evacuated along with consultants and people testing the hotel," said Leibman.
But shifts of between 600 and 800 people have been working to get the hotel ready "Everything is opening: the hotel, water park, restaurants and shops," Leibman said.
