TravTalk India Online Magazine
As the ultra-luxury Atlantis The Royal completes one year of operations, it receives tremendous response from the India market. In an interview with TRAVTALK, Neil Shah, Account Director, International Leisure Sales, Atlantis Dubai, shares how the India market is performing, targets for 2024 and the cities that are in focus to reach targeted numbers.
Hazel Jain
During his recent visit to India, Neil Shah, Account Director – International Leisure Sales, Atlantis, Dubai, travelled to New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Mumbai. Sharing his views on the India market in Mumbai, Shah said, “Ahmedabad has been performing really well for us, along with the North of India. We are yet to visit the southern cities, but we already see great bookings from Chennai and Hyderabad.”
Recognizing Chandigarh as a pivotal market, Atlantis Dubai, recently hosted the city’s trade partners for a comprehensive update on Atlantis, The Royal, which completed a year. Shah added, “Wrapping up its first year in February 2024, Atlantis The Royal will continue to focus on India as a key source market. India has a rising affluent class with increased income and spending. This luxury market is growing beyond the metros and has witnessed substantial growth from pockets of wealth like Chandigarh, Ludhiana and the surrounding regions in Punjab. This demographic seeks products and experiences that cater to their refined taste and worldly exposure, and we see Atlantis The Royal with its many luxurious offerings as a perfect fit. Despite being a young addition to the map, Atlantis The Royal has already garnered significant interest since our last visit.”
While the Atlantis brand is familiar to the India market, Atlantis The Royal is slightly different from Atlantis The Palm. “We exceeded our targets that we had for 2023 for Atlantis The Royal from India, which is in the top 10 list. We saw a lot of couples and honeymooners seeking privacy and personalised services. As a result, we now have increased our target by 30 per for 2024. This says a lot about how well the India market is performing and the potential it has for Atlantis The Royal. Our focus on India will be more aggressive going forward. But at the same time, we will be selective in our approach because the clientele for Atlantis The Royal is different,” Shah explained.
Apart from couples, he also wants to continue tapping families, as the property has a kids club and is connected to the water park, the access for which is included in the stay. M!CE is also on the radar for private events, celebrations, birthdays, and private family events. “We also see business coming from the YPO segment, along with weddings. We have stunning venues for weddings, and we have already seen about 10-12 since the time of opening. Our focus is on the luxury consumer,” Shah said, adding that the market has been shifting towards luxury. “I see a lot of interest for high-end properties from Indian guests. They are now mature travellers and are aware of what they want and what to expect,” he further added.
Rewards programme
For the agents, there is the Global Rewards programme, for which they need to register. This will soon be extended to the Royal as well. “We have also introduced some lovely offers for the agents. They will be rewarded an amount on every booking depending on what they sell,” Shah said.
About the hotel
Atlantis Dubai consists of two resorts, Atlantis The Palm, which opened in 2008 and Atlantis The Royal, which opened in February 2023. Atlantis The Palm was refurbished in 2018. Today, it has brand new rooms and has also expanded its waterpark, which makes it the world’s largest waterpark. Atlantis Dubai now has an inventory of 1,544 keys at The Palm and 795 at The Royal. The 43-storey ultra-luxury resort offers a collection of 795 rooms, including 693 standard rooms, 96 suites, and 6 penthouses.
