In the run-up to the opening of The Palm Jumeirah's iconic Kerzner property Atlantis, The Palm, senior vice president/general manager, hotel operations Amadeo Zarzosa speaks exclusively about the hotel's luxurious facilities, its celebrity chef partners and those rumours about poaching staff.

What attracted you to this project?

I worked for Kerzner for just over four years in the Bahamas in a very similar position. Then I took a bit of a 'sabbatical' that lasted for about four years while I was in South East Asia working for IHG as general manager at the InterContinental Resort in Bali, and regional general manager for the South East Asia region. It was a great few years to be there.

But I knew when I left Kerzner that they accepted it as a bit of a sabbatical, and I was honoured when I was approached and asked if I would be interested in becoming the general manager and senior vice president of operations here. I said of course' - it really is something that you get excited about, as a hotelier; working on this project is a real jewel in the crown.

Tell us about the range of accommodation at Atlantis.

Atlantis is an integrated resort - probably the first in the Middle East to have all this integrated entertainment to extend to our guests, some of which is pretty unique. Of course that's made up by many phases.

You've got 1539 rooms; it's split into two towers within the same building, which makes it very accessible to all the guests, and ensures the building has a good flow.

The East Tower and the West Tower are both unique. The West Tower is great for guests coming on a convention, because it connects right into the convention space. For guests who want to enjoy the spa it's right off the lobby, and you've got access to the activities pool.

So people will enjoy it because of the access to all these facilities. Of course the East Tower is that little bit more unique because of the view of the Ambassador Lagoon as you approach the elevators.

Then you've got the rooms. These are broken up into Kings and Double Queens, then moving up you've got our Terrace Suites which are about 98m2 each with a wonderful oversize terrace, then you've got the Executive Suites, with a vestibule separating the bedroom from the living area.

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Moving up you get to the Regal Suites, which measure about 165m2 and are very nicely appointed. There are only 35 of them.

Then you move to the two Super Suites, Neptune and Poseidon, which are unique suites submerged inside the Ambassador Lagoon - which contains 11 million litres of water - so when you actually get into the bedroom you open your drapes and you're staring into the depths of the lagoon.

Then there are the two Presidential Suites, which are beautifully appointed, and the two Royal Suites with two bedrooms in each.

Finally there's the one and only Bridge Suite, so called because it's situated in the arch across the centre of the building, bridging both towers. There you've got three bedrooms, a media room, a dining room for 24 people, a grand salon, a private elevator to take you straight in.

And you've got the unique features as well: one terrace facing north, one facing south, so you can look over the whole of Palm Jumeirah and into Dubai Marina, or you can stare north into the Arabian Gulf and watch the sun set over the sea while the yachts sail by. It'll be hard for someone staying there to leave!

What other facilities does the property offer for guests?

We really think about our accommodation and put a lot of focus on what the guest is going to need inside their room. Having said that, we realise that people coming to stay at Atlantis - which is after all an integrated entertainment resort - are going to want to spend a lot of time in the public areas. So while we make the accommodation very comfortable and offer everything from great duvets to plasma-screen TVs, we put a lot more focus, a lot more of our vision, into the public areas.

The wonderful thing about Atlantis is that it's great for a conventioneer; it's great for a couple who just want to get away; it's great for newly-weds who want a special honeymoon experience; and it's great for families.

We offer 17 restaurants, a teenage club, and a wonderful kids club for kids from three to 12 years old.

We've also got our Imperial Club; that's a slightly higher-level service, for all those people who might appreciate the smaller, more intimate resort feel. It offers those guests their own check-in and check-out, they have their own butler service in the Super Suites, and they have extra touches inside their room. It's really like another small resort within the resort.

We hear you have several outlets with celebrity ties?

Yes, we have four celebrity chef partners: Michel Rostang has put together an authentic brasserie for us, Brasserie Rostang, which he designed in conjunction with Geoffrey Beers.

Then you've got Giorgio Locatelli, who used his passion for food to create a truly authentic, rustic Italian restaurant for us. He was so passionate about how he designed the central pizza oven, so everyone could sit around it, and got us an amazing Italian chef.

Nobu of course is a huge success story, and a chef I really admire: he's managed to develop his brand but also keep his integrity, and his precision is incredible.

And the fourth is in conjunction with three-star Michelin chef Santi Santamaria. This is for those who want to truly experience architectural food - it'll be a real journey. He wanted a seafood-based restaurant which he could bring Arabian spices into as well. It's a true experience.