Atlantis The Royal, Dubai

Even by Dubai’s standards the building that’s home to Atlantis The Royal is a spectacular one, a set of interlocking blocks stacked along the beach, on the outer crescent of the manmade Palm Island. And what’s inside is no less impressive — this is by any measure one of the most extravagant, luxurious hotels anywhere in the world.

It’s also quite frankly enormous, weighing in at a colossal 795 rooms and suites. All of which, by the way, are ultra-luxe, to say the least, beginning with the merely vast 600-square-foot king and queen rooms, which face either the Palm and the mainland or out into the Arabian Sea. Ascend the range and you’ll eventually find yourself in one of the penthouses, which reach their apex in the ludicrous Royal Mansion, featuring four bedrooms across two levels plus a private terrace with its own infinity pool.

Additionally, you’ll find no fewer than 17 restaurants, most notably Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the recipient of a MICHELIN Star. There’s a spectacular spa doing business under the Royal Sensorium name, as well as a 22nd-floor infinity pool. And Atlantis The Royal goes all-out when it comes to live entertainment, drawing A-list DJs and performing artists to its numerous venues.