Sound and sophistication combine as Reece Webb dives into the world of Atlantis the Royal.
Located at the very tip of the luxurious and iconic Palm Jumeriah in Dubai, Atlantis the Royal stands proud as a beacon of luxury, affluence, and beauty on the Dubai coastline. This one-of-a-kind hotel attracts an international clientele through an combination of location, hospitality, and a unique, water-based aesthetic that immerses visitors into a world of exclusivity.
Named for the mythical lost city of Atlantis, visitors find themselves wrapped inside a world of comfort and impeccable design that befits its royal namesake; the hotel opened in 2023 at a staggering reported cost of 1.3 billion Euros, with a grand opening that saw pop icon Beyonce take to the stage at an event that attracted celebrity icons including Jay-Z, Kendall Jenner, as well as a host of royal guests and socialites.
With a reputation as grand as this, Atlantis the Royal required a lobby space that would welcome guests into an environment that radiated with extravagance and quality. From the very first steps a guest takes inside this vast space of silver and gold, the attention to detail and unwavering commitment to the highest standards cannot be overstated.
From G.A Design’s impressive Droplets statue, to waterfall elevators and aquariums, this space celebrates water as a valuable commodity, a celebration that is powered through a delicate combination of sound.
Atlantis the Royal turned to Creative Technology MiddleEast to deliver a soundscape that could overcome difficult acoustic conditions, while simultaneously creating an audio environment that is discreet in appearance and feel, but still fills this luxurious space with an air of opulence that is neither overbearing nor underwhelming.
“There was a tender process, which we do for any project of this size,” explains Richard Carter, director of AV facilities, Atlantis the Royal. “We went through three rounds of submissions and Creative Technology was chosen because of its innovative approach, and the quality of the product.
“We were very focused on capturing people the minute that they walk into the lobby, it was something that was lacking, and it was very much a part of our focus. We wanted to create a sense of arrival, that you have walked into something exciting and happening, something that is big.”
Walking into the vast lobby space, watching the water pour from the elevator exteriors and listening to the hustle and bustle of visitors flitting across this vast space and its lounges, it becomes clear that the sound feels discreet, almost ethereal in its delivery, surrounding guests no matter which part of the lobby they traverse through, a delicate touch was absolutely key.
Carter continues: “We spent a lot of time with our interior design team, colour matching the speakers in the space to make sure that they are almost invisible. They are hidden in plain sight, and you would not notice them unless you were looking for them.”
The name of the game was to create an all-encompassing audio environment in an area that was not only acoustically difficult but handled via a Q-Sys touchscreen interface which Creative Technology upgraded.”
The integrator also supplied Atlantis the Royal with an iPad interface called the calibration screen, enabling the hotel team to control the balance from the speakers, as well as the overall levels, recording those settings as needed. “If they want it a bit louder or a bit quieter, they have all of the autonomy to readjust those levels, hit record, and the next time somebody goes to that screen on the lobby, they can access it. The presets can also be scheduled when needed; if there is a special event, there will need to be a sound check based on the event’s needs, so we wanted to give them that ability.
“We wanted to give them as much autonomy over the system as possible, not that they were beholden to an integrator to make changes.”
Material culture
The lobby space’s unmatched aesthetics of marble and glass presented an arduous installation challenge for Creative Technology to overcome. Working in such a prestigious environment, Creative Technology also had to tackle very tight installation windows during the hotel’s quiet periods, cramming in installation and testing into overnight time frames.
Carter says: “You’re working in a lobby that’s extraordinarily busy, in a hotel that is under everybody’s eyes. Our windows for installation time were incredibly short, and it was all done overnight when the lobby would be just about empty. We did not make it easy for these guys.”
Herring adds: “We’d start work at midnight and be clear by six in the morning, meaning we realistically had from one to five in the morning to work. We had one team doing the cable pulling, and another team doing the speaker installation and termination. We did overrun those times slightly in most places, in that we were allowed to be in the back-of-house areas. The floor isn’t flat either, there are raised and lower areas all over the place, so trying to have access equipment in there meant that it had to be assembled and disassembled as we worked.
Today, the Atlantis Royal’s lobby space offers a glorious, welcoming space for visitors with a sound system that reflects the quality and sophistication of the hotel and its clientele, creating an atmosphere that immerses visitors into a world of sophistication and wonder.
Herring closes: “It was a tough space. We avoided the marble everywhere, and we used creative ways of bringing the cabling down through metalwork, through structures of cladding for windows, and even brought them down inside the trellis. Our cabling team were exceptional, they did a very good job.
“I was proud of the amount of work we went to, even prior to placing an order, then actually seeing the outcome and being more surprised by the outcome than I thought I was going to be in the early days. I was envisioning difficulties with the RAL colour of the speakers, as different surfaces will take that RAL colour differently, and the end result is as good as it could have possibly been.”
Kit list
L-Acoustics 5XT ceiling loudspeakers, Syva subwoofers, SP10i subwoofers, Soka in-wall loudspeakers
Q-Sys Core 510i integrated processor