One of the world’s most famous luxury hotels is undergoing a massive multimillion-dollar transformation.
Nearly 25 years after it opened, Atlantis Paradise Island has announced several upgrades and enhancements including new rides and slides at Splashers water playground and a celebrity-backed in-resort hotel, besides adding another Michelin-lauded chef.
The original Atlantis resort, which opened in the Bahamas in 1998, paved the way for luxury travel in the Caribbean and became known around the world for its giant marine habitats, water parks and palace-like pink architecture.
"We could not be more excited for all of the developments coming to Atlantis this year," said Audrey Oswell, president and managing director of Atlantis Paradise Island.
From New York and Dubai to the Bahamas
Michael White, the man behind Dubai's Marea and the Michelin-starred New York outpost of the same name, and whose restaurants have earned Michelin stars, will join chefs Nobu Matsuhisa and Jose Andres at the island resort.
He will be opening Paranza at The Cove, a coastal Italian cuisine restaurant that will welcome guests later this year. The new addition will make Atlantis Paradise Island the only hotel in the Caribbean to boast three Michelin star-rated chefs.
Elsewhere, there are newly renovated guestrooms and suites. Refreshed rooms are already bookable in The Royal East Tower this summer, with interiors inspired by the colours of the sea and the resort’s eight kilometres of white sand beaches.
The Royal West Tower will also be renovated to the same standard, with room bookings opening later in the year and the famed Bridge Suite — which spans the Royal Towers' 17th floor and has an average rate of $25,000 per night — will be entirely renovated and reopen in 2023.
Only for adults, The Cove Pool, featuring 20 private beach cabanas with Bahamian-inspired art and design, will also undergo a refresh.
Splashers, the pool and water playground for Atlantis' youngest guests, is included in the plans too, with new slides, climbing areas and more coming later this year.
Somewhere Else: Pharrell Williams' 400-key hotel
The Somewhere Else resort will be located at what was the Beach Tower at Atlantis and is set to offer “a unique and immersive experience”.
The 400-key hotel is on track to open in 2024 and will have top-tier dining, lush gardens, several swimming pools and live entertainment. It's a project in collaboration with singer Pharrell Williams and David Grutman of Groot Hospitality.
Atlantis Paradise Island opened over 25 years ago and has several things in common with Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, although there is currently no formal connection between the resorts.
With five different on-site hotels — The Coral, The Royal, The Reef, The Cove and Harborside Resort — Atlantis Paradise Island also has a 57-hectare water park called Aquaventure and the world's largest open-air, ocean-fed marine habitat that's home to more than 50,000 animals.
Most Instagrammable hotels in the world - in pictures
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
More from Mohammed Alardhi
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
