This Dubai hotel entices would-be guests with virtual reality experiences before they ever book

You don't have to fly to the Middle East to plummet down the world's largest water slide or zipline across an island oasis. Atlantis, The Palm - Dubai's luxury hotel island - has deployed a virtual reality headgear program to entice would-be guests into making the journey across the globe to experience these attractions and more.

Curious potential customers can try before they buy, experiencing the hotel virtually before heading to Dubai to luxuriate in all of its IRL splendor. The headsets have been making their way across the world on the travel industry conference circuit this summer, popping up in the Middle East and Los Angeles.

You can can watch dolphins dance across the crystal blue waters surrounding the island, explore the plush hotel grounds and walk across the sandy stretches, totally immersed in the sights, sounds and amenities of The Palm.

The technology doesn't stop once guests have booked a stay. The Palm has deployed interactive Apple iBeacons — electronic beacons that communicate with guests when they pass certain points — throughout the property. Guests can even play a mobile explorer game when they visit the resort's massive Lost Chambers Aquarium and travel through resurrected ruins of the mythical lost city of Atlantis. Liam Findley, vice president of marketing for Atlantis, The Palm says the industry is only just getting started adopting this type of technology.

“This is only the beginning for the travel industry as this technology becomes more mature and available to more people. In the future, I predict we will see virtual reality as being a common tool of resorts and hotels and guests reviewing virtual reality experiences when making decisions about where they want to stay. Remaining innovative and setting trends, we are excited to be among the first in the marketplace to really use this exciting platform.”

Dubai recently won back the bragging rights for the world's longest flight, but thanks to VR efforts like this, there's really no need for all that jet lag. Vacation, after all, is just a state of mind.