What it's like diving into the world's highest infinity pool
There’s a queue forming in the lobby of the St Regis Dubai, The Palm. “So, how can I get in?” implores the man at the front. The lady at the help desk apologises sincerely; booking is essential. Right now, Aura is the hottest ticket in town.
Suspended 200 metres in the air, Aura Skypool is the world’s highest infinity pool, and the first with 360-degree views. Sharing Nakheel’s Palm Tower with the new St Regis, Aura’s check-in desk is in the lobby of the hotel. From here, guests who’ve secured a reservation are whizzed up in a private lift to Dubai’s latest landmark, an infinity pool in the sky wrapped around an achingly cool lounge bar.
Pale and interesting with pine green accents and Californian beach house vibes, the space is decorated with indoor-outdoor rattan furniture, pot plants, decks and a DJ swishing her long locks in time to the music. Light floods in from every angle as diners nestle into sofas and nibble on bowls of Szechuan pepper squid, ponzu tuna tartare and sticky beef short rib. A portion of edamame beans will set you back around £10.
Open-sided with patio doors pushed right back, the lounge leads to the 750-square-metre alfresco deck. Shaped like a running track the deck laps the dining room and accommodates two rows of sun loungers facing what is probably the most dramatic swimming pool ever made.
Bikini-clad bathers pose for photos on the pool’s edge, seemingly tipping over into a horizon of skyscrapers, the Arabian gulf shimmers far below. Out of sight, there’s a wide fenced-in concrete ledge that mitigates any safety concerns.
Holding cocktails like Olympic torches above the shoulder-high water, parading patrons wade past, looping the 50th-floor attraction and soaking up its 360-degree aspect. Like a submerged catwalk, the passers-by are as much a part of the view at the iconic Dubai skyline.
The unofficial dress code seems to be designer swimsuits with stiletto heels, full make-up and faux eyelashes for ladies and bright board shorts for gents. If you’re feeling underdressed, there’s a fashion boutique located beneath the lounge by the bathrooms, which are stocked with styling tools.
Settling into a sun lounger, you can admire the scale of record-breaking Burj Khalifa and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel to the north. The south side overlooks the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Ain Dubai, and the glamorous high-rises of Dubai Marina, as well as Skydive Dubai where daredevils attached to parachute tumble out of planes, unintentionally providing additional entertainment.
Loungers are categorised by zone. ‘Orange Zone’ loungers line the wall; in front of them, ‘Green Zone’ loungers ring the pool with unobstructed views, and VIP Island, at the helm of the tower, affords views both north and south.
Choosing where to park your beach bag isn’t the only decision you’ll need to make. Bookings are available for three time slots:
10am to 2pm
(AED170/£35 Orange Zone, AED200/£41 Green Zone, AED275/£56 VIP Island)
3pm until sunset, around 5.30pm in Dubai during winter
(AED200/£41 Orange Zone, AED250/£51 Green Zone, AED325/£67 VIP Island)
10am until sunset
(AED370/£76 Orange Zone, AED450/£92 Green Zone, AED600/£123 VIP Island).
Afternoons represent the best value for money and justify a premium fee by offering unparalleled front-row views of Arabian sunsets. Only visible from the sky, this dizzying pool is at its dazzling best during the golden hour, from around 5.30pm to 6.30pm. As the horizon blushes pink, then peach, then lilac, the pool lights up like a sapphire necklace, a fitting visual metaphor for this hidden gem. auraskypool.com
Five more Dubai record-breakers
With more than 200 Guinness World Records to its name, Dubai may even take the title as the destination holding the most world records. Here are five more world-beating attractions in the emirate.
Deepest pool
Holding 14 million litres of water, Deep Dive Dubai is so much more than a swimming pool. Verified by Guinness World Records as the world’s deepest swimming pool for diving, it’s equivalent in size to six Olympic pools with a depth of 60 metres. This sunken playground offers freediving and scuba diving experiences set within atmospheric sound and mood lighting systems, and the chance to explore a warren of different spaces. What appears to be an eerily abandoned streetscape includes an underwater apartment and a garage, complete with a motorbike. deepdivedubai.com
Tallest Ferris wheel
Dubai’s answer to the London Eye, Ain Dubai – the world’s largest and tallest observation wheel – took its first turn in October 2021. The name means Dubai Eye in Arabic. Set on Bluewaters Island, its wheel holds 48 air-conditioned cabins and up to 1,750 passengers. Each leg of the wheel is as long as 15 London buses parked bumper-to-bumper, and it takes 38 minutes for cabins to perform a full revolution, reaching heights of 250 metres. Views stretch from Dubai Marina to Burj Khalifa and there are three pod experiences to try, from standard observation cabins to private cabins with catering for bespoke events. aindubai.com
Biggest fountain
With the ethos that gravity is defied when you aim for the sky, Palm Fountain set out to make a big splash when it opened at The Pointe in 2020. Guinness World Records representatives attended the launch party to verify that the fountain is the largest in the world with two colossal floating platforms covering 14,000 square metres of seawater and jets reaching up to 105 metres high. The aquatic spectacle glows with the light of 3,000 LED bulbs, pulsing and swaying to the rhythm of international hits. Admiring crowds often dance along. thepointe.ae/en/dubai-palm-fountain
Tallest building
At 828 metres, it’s impossible to overlook the record-breaker that is Burj Khalifa. The tallest building on earth, it has amassed multiple world-firsts. It’s the tallest free-standing structure, home to the planet’s highest outdoor observation deck, lounge, residential apartments and service elevator. When base jumpers Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet leapt from the pinnacle in 2014, the highest base jump from a building was completed. The following year, on New Year’s Eve, Burj Khalifa facilitated the record for the highest pyrotechnics display, when 1.6-tonnes of fireworks were launched from the building. burjkhalifa.ae
A multi-record-breaking festival park
One of Dubai’s longest-running attractions, Global Village has been entertaining families since 1997. Today, the sprawling theme park is a cornucopia of bright lights, fairground attractions, food stalls, country-themed pavilions and replica landmarks, from the Taj Mahal to the leaning Tower of Pisa. Open from October to April each season, to celebrate its 25th term last year it broke 25 world records, among them the most consecutive doughnut spins in a car on wet surface (62) and the most nationalities on a theme park ride (73). In the grand finale, 20 skydivers lighting fireworks above the park bagged the record for the highest altitude skydiving firework display (4,907.28 metres) in association with Skydive Dubai. globalvillage.ae
For more inspiration on where to stay, read Telegraph Travel's complete guide to the best hotels in Dubai.
