Atlantis silent on scathing UK review

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SCATHING REVIEW: The Sun has compared Atlantis to the 'eighth circle of hell'. (Supplied)

The management of Dubai's Atlantis hotel have refused to comment on a scathing review by the UK's most popular newspaper, which describes the Palm Jumeirah's flagship development as the "eighth circle of hell".

A spokesperson for Atlantis told Arabian Business on Monday that it would not comment on the story, which could dent UK holidaymakers' interest in visiting the hotel, which opened on Sept. 24.

Tabloid newspaper the Sun on Saturday published a review of the hotel, entitled "The 8th chunder of the world", in which it criticises everything from the hotel's pink exterior and centrepiece sculptures to its Ambassador Lagoon and the appearance of its staff.

To read the full article in the Sun, click here.

"A gob-smacking vision in cold sore pink...," the article begins.

"...Atlantis sits at the top of the man-made Palm Jumeirah island, which is visible from space, and must have Martians performing handbrake turns in their little green droves," it continues.

"There are two features inside the Atlantis which immediately pain the eyes. First is the main lobby’s modernist sculpture. A 98ft high pile of glass-blown tubes... which looks like the Jolly Green Giant’s lower intestines. Second is the Ambassador Lagoon...," it goes on.

On the hotel's staff, the article says: "All of them come with a rictus grin and many appear to have been cast by BBC1’s Hotel Babylon..." Although in a rare compliment it adds that "they are an utterly devoted, charming and professional bunch, it must be said, who will indulge your every crazy whim".

On the hotel's reported decision not to let UK glamour model Jordan and husband Peter Andre film an episode of reality TV show Katie & Peter, it says: "Even the eighth circle of hell, it appears, has a taste barrier. And that’s ITV2."

The 1,539-room resort encompasses 46-hectares with 17 hectares of water-themed amusement parks, an open air marine habitat, beaches, boutiques and restaurants.

Rooms at the hotel cost between $450 a night for a standard room up to $25,000 for the Bridge Suite.

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READERS' COMMENTS

The SUN should be call The Bull
Posted by Paul on Friday 3 October 2008 at 11:55 UAE time

The SUN is not the UK's most popular newspaper by far, it's usually full of rubbish and most people read it to see how far fetched the stories are. I will be visiting to make my own mind up....

Wonderful
Posted by David, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday 2 October 2008 at 09:10 UAE time


My daughter LOVED it. She's only 13, but she has great taste.

Frankly, the Sun article is very funny, but it obviously had an agenda. Nothing went wrong, the writer had no celebrity angle to use, so he did what all tab journos do - made it 'interesting' by tearing down something that has been built up. We all love a bit of Schadenfreude.

It was not long ago The Sun would be embarrassingly positive about all things Dubai. Now the emirate has been built up, time to knock it back down - to get it off its pedistal. It's just the way it does things.

The article should be read as a piece of entertainment - it is well written and funny. However, it does not have any veracity whatsoever - anyone who knows anything about tabloid journalism knows that.

Personally, I am looking forward to going. The hotel sounds funky and amazing.

Atlantis
Posted by Jon, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 30 September 2008 at 14:43 UAE time


I haven't been yet. But I can't imagine the interior is more tasteless and ludicrous than the Burj al Arab..

Are you joking?
Posted by John, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday 30 September 2008 at 14:20 UAE time


It is astounding that Arabian Business should elect to devote column inches to the scurrilous outpourings of this sorry example of the British gutter press, a well known exponent of lurid allitarated headlines and page three tarts. If that article serves to discourage the paper's readership from coming over here then all to the good. Last thing we want is a bunch of stereotypical Sun readers 'larging it' over here.

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