The Telegraph gave the hotel a 8/10, commending the underwater theme and facilities available. A 2024 review by
The Sunday Times gave the hotel a score of 9/10, complimenting the architecture and appeal to all age groups.
Controversy In October 2007, the hotel received a shipment of 28
bottlenose dolphins from the
Solomon Islands, to be used as part of their
aquarium exhibit, called Dolphin Bay. The move was decried by several environmental groups, particularly for the fact that the export of dolphins had earlier been banned by the Solomon Islands government (after a similar controversial shipment to
Mexico). Hotel managers have said that though the dolphins are being trained to interact with visitors, they will not appear in any sort of show or circus-like performance. They have also stated that the health of the dolphins is paramount; because the bottlenose is not an
endangered species, their shipment did not pose a problem. The deal was done with the approval of the United Arab Emirates and Solomon Island governments, through the company Solomon Islands Marine Mammal Education Centre and Exporters Limited (who had overturned the earlier ban in court). The amount of money paid for the dolphins has not been disclosed. The hotel faced controversy in 2010 following the captivity of a
whale shark, nicknamed Sammy, in an aquarium exhibit for 18 months. The female juvenile was caught off a coast in
Jebel Ali in August 2008 after appearing in distress. At the time, whale sharks were listed in appendix 2 of
CITES, stipulating that they can "only be held for scientific purposes provided that it does not harm the survival of the species". The captivity sparked outrage among animal rights groups and activists, including
PETA and actress
Pamela Anderson. Atlantis would release a press release, stating: "After several months of planning, Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai has returned a female whale shark to the waters of the
Persian Gulf from where she was rescued. The Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team utilised their experience and skill to save the animal in compliance with all CITIES regulations." Ali Bin Saqr Al Suwaidi, president and founder of the Emirates Marine Environment Group, another group involved in the campaign, confirmed the shark was set to be released. Scepticism surrounding the release persisted afterwards due to a lack of images being circulated, with Steve Kaiser, vice president of Marine Science and Engineering at Atlantis, denying the claims of Sammy still being held in captivity. ==Gallery==