World first ‘Nobu by the Beach’ to debut at Atlantis The Royal

Global culinary icon Nobu is expanding its presence at Dubai’s The Palm next year, plating up not only its second venue on the island but a world first too, as ‘Nobu by the Beach’ outdoor club brings Ibiza-style beats and Peruvian-Japanese flair to Atlantis The Royal resort.

Boasting an impressive beachfront location, the one-of-a-kind club will feature a lagoon pool, Nobu restaurant and expansive terrace and bar, together with exclusive air-conditioned cabanas and VIP perks guaranteed to make you feel like a star.

Celebrity Chef Nobu Matsuhisa opened his first Nobu restaurant in New York back in 1994, as part of a joint venture with actor Robert De Niro. After gaining a cult following, it’s since expanded around the world, with locations from Sydney to London and Las Vegas. 

This latest venue is described as a modern take on classic Japanese minimalism, with a free-flowing layout and extensive use of natural materials.  

Atlantis The Royal is located adjacent to the existing Atlantis The Palm Resort.

As you can imagine, dining will form a key element of the experience, with the menu inspired by Nobu’s signature fusion cuisine, but with a sharable twist. A live Robatayaki ‘fireside cooking’ counter will also plate up flavoursome charcoal grilled meats and fish.

Guests with a reservation for one of the luxury daybeds or cabanas can pamper themselves with a curated array of exclusively-designed amenities, including a Nobu branded beach bag, hat, fan and water bottle, as well a Nobu toiletry bag with travel size-skin care.

Sliding glass doors will create a seamless flow between the restaurant and terrace.

VIPs can also look forward to in-cabana spa treatments, plus floating food and drinks.

“We knew we wanted to continue growing in the hospitality scene and after Nobu Dubai’s huge success at Atlantis, The Palm we were very excited to continue expanding within the destination,” explains Chef Matsuhisa.

“Nobu by the Beach is an exciting new concept that we created to offer guests somewhere to relax and enjoy their Nobu experience for longer than just a meal, in a beautiful, casual setting.”

Nobu by the Beach is just one of several dining outlets primed to open at Atlantis The Royal, joining a roll call of celebrity restaurants from the likes of Heston Blumenthal and José André.

The Palm’s newest icon

Rising 43-storeys at the apex of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, with futuristic curves and sweeping sky gardens affording enviable views across the Persian Gulf, Atlantis The Royal looks unlike any hotel in the desert metropolis.

Welcoming first guests from March 2023, the ambitious US$1.4 billion (AU$1.9 billion) hotel and residence combo boasts 795 guest rooms and 231 apartments, and so much more.

Once completed, it’s a shoe-in for inclusion among the best hotels and resorts in Dubai.

The resort's impressive design was created by New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.

Were a hotelier to make a laundry list of every luxury amenity and multiplied it by 10 in both ambition and sheer quantity – 92 pools, check; outdoor crystal chandeliers that transform into sunshades, check; 17 restaurants and bars from esteemed chefs including Gaston Acurio and Costas Spiliadis, check – it would look on paper a whole lot like the Royal.

But executing such a project has been nothing short of challenging, with multiple stops and starts in construction and an entirely new investor swooping in to help realise its vision.

One of the signature suites at Atlantis The Royal, featuring interiors by GA Design.

First images show it to be worth the wait, with bookings now open for stays from March.

A ‘once in a decade’ opening

An 11.5-metre stainless steel sculpture, known as Droplets, will greet guests as they enter the lobby, while marble staircases and regal brass detailing continue throughout the public areas.

Rooms and suites are shown to be lavishly furnished in marble and timber, with subtle brass and gold detailing, textured furnishings and contemporary artworks. Of the 795 rooms, 44 suites and penthouses will also boast private pools and amenities from Hermès, Frette and Graff.

Bathrooms will feature freestanding baths and liberal use of marble.

All rooms are enhanced with smart technology too, allowing guests to control the lighting, television streaming, temperature and other amenities from their own mobile phones.

Tim Kelly, Managing Director of Atlantis Dubai, says guests will be in for an experience they’ll never forget, with resort openings such as this only coming around once or twice a decade.

Rooms sport views of the Persian Gulf or the city’s iconic skyline, including the Burj Khalifa spire.

From the ground level, it’s easier to appreciate the architecture, which is wider than it is tall.

Created by New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, which designed the master plan for Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, it’s meant to look like a skyscraper that’s been deconstructed into side-by-side bits and pieces, some connected by a swooping, futuristic sky bridge.

New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates designed the building.

The six towers comprising Atlantis The Royal are brought together by a 90-metre long Skypool on level 22, which forms part of an outdoor entertainment experience called Cloud 22, replete with VIP cabanas, a swim-up bar and even a glittering head-shaped DJ booth.

Most restaurants will be on the ground floor, including a branch of José Andrés’s Spanish tapas spot Jaleo, a classic sushi entry from Nobu Matsuhisa, and an offshoot of Heston Blumenthal’s experimental flagship in London, Dinner.

A rendering of Cloud 22 rooftop pool.

In addition, Blumenthal will also introduce his debut cocktail bar, Resonance. Beyond the cocktail list and menu, a focal point of the venue will be a 6.5-metre high jellyfish aquarium – the largest in the world – home to 4,000 moon jellies.

Ling Ling by Hakkasan, a restaurant and lounge overlooking Cloud 22, will provide the highest-profile drinking and dancing spot.

A rendering of a sky pool suite with a view of the Persian Gulf.

Of course, when guests aren’t eating or drinking, there are ample opportunities to relax too, including a six-room Turkish bathhouse, Korean-style spa with salt caves and snow sauna.

Marble staircases and metallic wall panels add to the level of opulence within.

The resort will also be home to a vast array of fountains and water features, including the fire breathing Skyblaze.

Atlantis The Royal will hold a spectacular ‘Grand Reveal’ in January, with star-studded plans said to echo those of its sister hotel Atlantis The Palm, which opened in 2008 with guests including Robert DeNiro, Gerard Butler, Kylie Minogue and Priyanka Chopra. 

Additional reporting by Bloomberg Pursuits.