Destinations of the World News
WEEKENDS ON THE PALM
Whichever frond you land on, these luxurious hotels have nailed the formula of family fun
ATLANTIS, THE PALM
Few resorts can boast such fam-friendly facilities like Atlantis, The Palm, not least for the beach, the immense Aquaventure Waterpark and The Lost Chambers Aquarium. Then there are the kids’ club facilities for youngsters aged three to 12 years, which are as extensive as the resort itself, with themed days and nights, such as “Mad Scientist” or “Lunch with Aladdin”, plenty of sports and crafts, from bowling and circus fun to making sea creatures or mosaics, or even their own “Atlantis pal”, a customised stuffed animal from scratch. For the tech-loving kids, the Command Centre has Wii, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles with ageappropriate games, and 15 Apple Macs, while the Underwater Theatre auditorium screens children’s films. Teens too, are catered to (in a way that won’t inspire eye rolls) with Club Rush, a supervised social spot for them to mingle – either on the dance floor where they can boogie to music, challenging each other in the Game Zone, chilling in the Club Lounge watching movies, or over smoothies at Sugar Rush bar. To spend quality time with your teen, Family Rush programmes open to guests five days a week will have you bonding over limbo and Xbox darts. www.atlantisthepalm.com
FAIRMONT THE PALM
Connecting rooms, baby amenities on demand and healthy and kid-friendly menus with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, Fairmont makes it easy for parents to relax, while kids of in-house guests aged three to 16 can enjoy two hours free a day at Fairmont Falcons Kids’ Club – chock-filled with books, toys and jigsaw puzzles, with arts and crafts sessions, fancy dress costumes, dolls and construction toys, a toddler playhouse and a climbing wall. The club can also care for children under the age of three (from 18 months) for AED 60 an hour. A chill out zone for older kids will keep them entertained with Xbox, Wii and PlayStation, while the resort grounds will have them running around like mad too, playing on the private beach, or splashing around in the children’s pool, which has its own splash park, perfect for the little ones. www.fairmont.com
SOFITEL THE PALM, DUBAI
This chic Polynesian themed resort pays special attention to little guests right from check in, with Le Petit Prince bath amenities, bottle sterilisers and warmers, baby bath tubs and potties on demand. With five outdoor pools (including main pool, baby pool, one slide pool and two pools with waterfalls), there’s much to do for active families, who can have a bash at beach volleyball, eco golf, giant chess, archery or water polo, treating themselves later at Gelati, the resort’s ice-cream parlour. When the mercury rises, Amura Kids Club (kids four and above enjoy two hours complimentary access per day) is one of the prettiest playrooms in the city. The brightly coloured club is well stocked with toys and games and boasts a roster of arts and crafts, actvities like bowling and sack races, and movie-time in the cinema. There’s even a kids’ and baby pool with slides and dancing fountains. www.sofitel.com
VICEROY, THE PALM
Split into quirky activities to suit munchkins (2-4) nippers (5-8) and teens – there’s yoga, family Olympics and even aqua Zumba at the newest Palm hotel, which has a Generation V kids’ club crammed with a schedule of edutainment. Along with a 200-metre beach for running about and water sports, there are three pools including a dedicated kids’ pool with dancing water features and cabanas for the whole family. www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com