How to Book Half-Board at Atlantis Dubai

How to Book Half-Board at Atlantis Dubai

Did you know that Atlantis The Palm was the very first resort to be erected on Dubai’s beautiful Palm Jumeirah human-made islands? Well, it remains to be the crown jewel of the region when it comes to accommodation. And rightly so given the hotel’s opulent stature that features over 1,500 rooms. Among these hotel rooms, there are all kinds of signature themes including an Underwater Suite with a direct view of marine creatures and a Royal Bridge Suite with three lavish bedrooms, two grand terraces, a palatial lounge, a private library, a media and games room, plus a 16-person dining room

In this article I’ll be covering:

  • How to Book Half-Board at Atlantis Dubai
  • What Half-Board Actually Means
  • What’s in the Inclusive Half-Board Package

While the hotel discernibly targets those with deep pockets, you do not necessarily have to spend big to enjoy the hotel’s exclusive luxuries. And, this is thanks to the invention of a little something called Half Board, which makes up part of the hotel’s packages. 

So, how do you book half-board at Atlantis Dubai? Well, this is as easy as going to the resort’s official website to make a reservation online. You can also go through a third party such as a travel agency when looking to book a half-board at Atlantis The Palm. 

So, what is half-board accommodation? How much will it cost you at Atlantis The Palm? Are there any inconveniences to booking half-board? Find out all this and more below. 

What Does Half-board in a Hotel Mean? 

When it comes to staying at world class Dubai hotels, guests have several boarding options to choose from, with the inclusion of half-board. Guests on the latter package receive a room with the usual amenities (bed, bathroom, room service, etc.) plus complimentary breakfast and dinner. It is somewhat similar to options such as Bed and Breakfast, where a guest gets a room and breakfast only or Full Board with which a room, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea or evening cocktails make up the package. 

However, half board falls in the middle of things where it generally costs more than a bed and breakfast package but is significantly cheaper than the full board option or the all-inclusive package that includes flight fares, transportation, and vacation activities in its price. You also do not need to set aside a budget for breakfast and dinner meals since they are part of the room charges.

How do you Book Half-board at Atlantis Dubai? 

Atlantis in Dubai. View from across the water.

There is no particular way to go about booking half-board. Since it is just another boarding option, you book half board in the same way you would any package in a hotel. In the case of Atlantis The Palm, there are two options for booking half-board. 

#1. Directly with the Hotel 

The easiest way is to book for half-board directly through Atlantis the Palm hotel itself. You can do this from anywhere in the world by going to the hotel’s website (www.atlantis.com/dubai/atlantis-the-palm). From that page, you can scroll down to the Atlantis Half Board – Delights of Atlantis section and hit EXPLORE. As an alternative, you can click on the SPECIAL OFFERS link at the top of the page and select ‘DELIGHTS OF ATLANTIS HALF BOARD’ option. 

Both routes will take you to the hotel’s half-board page, which has information regarding half-board room options, featured restaurants, and everything else you need to know about the package. If you want to make a booking, the process is quite simple. Just click on the ‘Book Now’ tab at the top of the page then follow the prompts. 

#2. Through a Travel Agency  

Despite many hotels worldwide putting up websites, travel agencies continue to be a used and trusted option for travelers. Maybe you have a travel agency in mind, or a friend returning from Dubai referred you to one. Simply enquire if they can take care of booking half-board at Atlantis The Palm hotel for you. 

What is Inclusive in a Half-Board Atlantis Dubai Package? 

Half-board at Atlantis Dubai includes daily buffet breakfasts at Saffron or Kaleidoscope restaurants and dinner in buffet style or 3-course serving at one of the hotel’s participating restaurants. According to the hotel, there is a supplemental charge at some of the participating restaurants. So make sure to enquire before you order at any given restaurant. 

For example, Gordon Ramsay Street Kitchen has supplement charges of 85 AED per adult and 42.50 AED for children aged 4 to 11 years. Ossiano is another restaurant that includes supplement charges with a 6-course meal that will cost you AED 540 while 9 and 11-course meals cost an extra AED 770 and 1290, respectively. Other restaurants known to have supplement fees include Ronda Locatelli, Hakkasan, Seafire, and Nobu. The supplement charges are subject to change at a restaurant’s discretion. 

As for rooms, you are free to stay at any of the hotel’s Guest Rooms, Imperial Club Rooms, Club Suites, or Signature Suites on half-board. However, rooms are subject to availability. Therefore, you may only find a handful of room options at the time of your booking. The trick is to book for your stay months in advance. The earlier you book, the more variety you will have in terms of room options. 

Are There Different Packages for Half Board at the Hotel? 

Half-board is not entirely equal for all guests at the Atlantis Palm hotel. The boarding option comes in two packages of: 

  • Regular Half-board – The textbook definition of half-board, this option simply includes breakfast and dinner. With regular half-board, you are within your rights to order tea, coffee, or juice at breakfast. However, drinks and cocktails at dinner are not covered. 
  • Platinum Half-board – Makes up the hotel’s premier half-board option. Platinum half-board has similar offerings as the regular half-board package but with the addition of a selection of unlimited house wines, beverages, and beers during dinner. 

Can you Choose Where to Dine on Half-board? 

One of the perks of staying at the Atlantis Palm is that you get to dine at the resort’s host of 23 world-class restaurants. Featuring well-known brands and award-winning establishments, the restaurants offer everything from celebrity chef dining, to iconic dishes, to all manner of cuisines including Lebanese, Indian, Mexican, Italian, French, Asian, and so much more. While not all 23 restaurants will be accessible with an Atlantis Dubai half-board package, you still have quite a sizeable array of eateries from which to choose. 

For breakfast, choices are restricted to Kaleidoscope and Saffron, both of which serve buffet style. Both restaurants serve breakfast daily between 7 am to 11 am. Dinner choices are more allowing you to pick from over 10 restaurants with the usual dining time stretching from 7 pm to 11 pm. One thing is for sure; you will not be missing out on the legendary Atlantis Dubai dining experience since the featured choices cover all 3 of the resort’s categories of Celebrity, Signature, and Casual restaurants. 

Which Restaurants Can You Redeem the Half-board Package at Atlantis the Palm? 

Guests on half-board at the Atlantis the Palm are provided with a meal room key card. Generally, this is what you are required to produce when dining out. Half-board participating restaurants run the key card in their systems to pull up records. The system will reveal what package you are on as well as retrieve passport pictures of the guests registered to the key card to ensure it is indeed the right people using the meal card. The meal room key card allows one to dine at the following restaurants. 

  • Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen and Restaurant 
  • Nobu 
  • Ossiano 
  • Ronda Locatelli 
  • Hakkasan 
  • Seafire Steakhouse & Bar 
  • Ayamna 
  • Asia Republic 
  • White Beach restaurant 
  • Kaleidoscope 
  • Saffron  
  • Plato’s 
  • The Edge 
  • The Shore 
  • The Burger Joint 
  • Shawafel 

Except for the likes of Kaleidoscope and Saffron that serve in buffet style, all other restaurants listed above have a half-board menu that is separate from the menu provided to other hotel guests and diners coming from outside of the resort. The menus are diverse, allowing all half-board dinners the freedom of ordering what they like. 

Another thing to note is that you should make restaurant reservations before arrival. You may find no seating available is just walk into the restaurant. 

Privileges that come with a Half-board Atlantis Package 

To say that Atlantis The Palm is a dream destination would be an understatement. Aside from the massive 1539-room hotel and the 23 dining outlets, this iconic hotel and the luxury resort also features a world-class water park, several marine habitats, pools, beaches, and a host of other facilities tucked within its grounds. 

As a guest of the Atlantis Palm hotel, you will be allowed free entry into most of these facilities. Here is a quick summary of all the places a half-board package can get you. 

1. Swimming Pool Access 

At Atlantis Dubai, you do not have to go very far when looking to get tanned or enjoy a relaxing session of sun-soaking. The hotel has two pools, including the kid-friendly Zero Entry pool, which is perfect for those traveling with family. A lagoon-style Royal Pool where swimming is allowed for guests makes up the other option. Both swimming pools offer a range of dining options to choose from as well as entertainment activities to engage in during your stay. 

2. Private Beaches 

If relaxing by the pool is not your idea of the perfect sunny vacation, you can go for the resort’s very own 1.4 km worth of private beaches. The beaches are 4 in total, including the fancy Royal and Nasimi beaches and the more laid-back Aquaventure and WHITE beaches. Although the beaches are human-made, they deliver an authentic beach holiday where you can feel the sun in your face, run your feet through sand, and jump into the water at will to cool off. 

WHITE Beach was opened towards the end of 2019 and lauded for being the newest beach spot of the resort. The beach takes on a bohemian vibe with VIP cabanas lined along the shoreline plus single beds on offer at a starting price of AED 200, with half of that amount redeemable on food and beverages. The beach also has an open-air terrace perfect for enjoying cocktails, an Infinity pool with 2 bars at the sides, and a Mediterranean restaurant on site that serves pizzas, salads, and fresh fish. 

3. Imperial Club Lounge 

Situated within the Atlantis Palm hotel, the lavish Imperial Club Lounge is designated for guests staying at one of the imperial club rooms or suites. You can head over to the lounge for breakfast between 7-11 am, afternoon tea at 2-4 pm, or evening drinks offered from 5 to 7 pm. 

4. Gym 

People usually go on vacations to engage in fun activities or lazy around all day sipping drinks. However, if you are a fitness buff who would like to stay active during your vacation, the Atlantis Palm hotel has its very own fitness center complete with trainers and ultramodern exercise equipment. Also available is a jogging track separate from the gym center. 

5. Sports Grounds 

Playing games makes another way of staying fit while still keeping your vacation fun. At Atlantis The Palm, you can choose from multiple sports grounds at the resort. Featured are tennis and table tennis courts, a volleyball court, and a setup for beach football. Water sports such as kayaking are also available at the resort. 

6. Atlantis Kids Club and The Zone 

One of the upsides of Atlantis The Palm is that it is a family-friendly destination ranging from the hotel rooms, which mostly feature adjoining doors to the restaurants that offer family-style meals with some allowing kids less than 4 years to dine for free. The resort even has hangout spots designed solely for children. 

The Kids Club opens between 5:30 and 8 pm and is ideal for children aged 3 to 12 years while The Zone serves as a strictly teen space opening from 10:30 am to 6 pm during the day and night sessions from 7 pm to 11 pm. Both areas offer age-appropriate activities (e.g., foosball & video games for teens, and games & electronic entertainment for the younger kids) and provide free entry to all hotel residents. 

7. Aquaventure Water Park and Surrounding Areas

When looking to have fun, Aquaventure Water Park is the ultimate stop for all Atlantis The Palm residents. Thrill-seekers can have their fill by taking The Leap of Faith slide all the way down to the shark-filled lagoon or give the array of other crazy water slides a shot. Children can hang out at Splashers Island and the variety of kid-friendly slides, while adults can chill on the 2km lazy river while sipping cocktails. 

All Resort residents, including half-board guests, are given free and daily access to Aquaventure Park as well as the surrounding dining joints and the Aquaventure beach. 

8. Lost Chambers Aquarium 

Situated close to the Aquaventure park, the Lost Chambers Aquarium also allows free entry for hotel guests. The aquarium features a maze of underground tunnels that bring the lost city of Atlantis to life while offering spectacular views of 65,000 marine animals. 

9. Ideas on Where to go for Lunch 

One can easily survive without lunch when on half-board at Atlantis. The buffet breakfasts allow you to fuel up for an active day of fun and adventure while dinner covers a 3-course meal. That said, there are plenty of affordable food joints all over the resort if you do not want to spend a lot on lunch meals. 

Aquaventure Park, for one, houses an array of fast food kiosks. The park also has several affordable restaurants such as the Shark Bites Restaurant that happens to serve lunch only with a simple menu of sandwiches, salads, chicken buckets, grilled specials, and Arabic foods. 

Outside the Atlantis Palm hotel are also food truck vendors that sell snacks and light meals at low prices. Some of the restaurants also offer discounted lunch prices for half-board guests. 

Final Word 

Whether it is the iconic design themed after the underwater lost city of Atlantis, the array of luxurious hotel rooms, the many nearby restaurants, or the endless supply of family-friendly activities, Atlantis The Palm resort has a lot going for it. A holiday at this fantastic destination involves sleeping in the lap of luxury, waking up to beautiful views of the ocean or the island’s palm outline, filling your belly with delicious meals, and having fun all day. With an Atlantis Dubai half-board package, you get to enjoy all of this at a lesser price.