Special Features
Eight Into One Equals Unique
The Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel, considered by many as the gateway to Dubai, is now the complete business and leisure destination after the recent opening of the Diablo, an upmarket night spot situated in the Ibn Battuta Hotel.The destination now boasts the Ibn Battuta shopping mall with 275 retail outlets, a 21 screen cinema, with the UAE’s only IMAX theatre, residential apartments, commercial offices, the Ibn Battuta metro station and of course the imposing Ibn Battuta Gate hotel, a five-star property, managed by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, which opened its doors in October 2010. The complex even has its own robotic car park, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
“This has to be the ultimate destination,” said Michael Scully, Managing Director Hospitality at Seven Tides the owners of the apartments, offices and hotel at the Ibn Battuta Gate complex.
“Unique is a word that is almost clichéd in our industry, but in our case it is entirely appropriate. It is without doubt the most comprehensive destination anywhere in the region. From luxury themed accommodation and a culinary journey, to dancing into the small hours, or from a little retail therapy, to the latest blockbuster film release, the area is totally self-sufficient, catering for shoppers, hotel guests, business people or local residents.
One of the most important aspects of the Ibn Battuta ‘complex’ is the dedicated metro station, which is a mere five minute walk from the hotel.
“The metro connects leisure visitors with Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall and it is an ideal way for corporate visitors to attend exhibitions at the Dubai World Trade Centre. We have ample parking either at the hotel or by using the robotic car park, which is perfect for safe and secure longer term parking,” said Scully.
Indeed the metro will feature prominently in upcoming Ibn Battuta promotions along with the hotel’s sister properties in Deira and on the Palm Jumeirah.
“We have a number of exciting promotions planned in addition to our existing ‘unlock the gate’ promotion. In fact, we have just concluded a highly successful special promotion which celebrated the beginning of the Chinese New Year,” said Jan Kaiser, General Manager of the Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel.
“And in keeping with the Chinese theme, the number eight in Chinese culture is an auspicious number, it is pronounced in a similar way to the word for ‘prosper’ or ‘wealth’. So in that sense you could say that Ibn Battuta has a wealth of facilities,” added Kaiser.
Named after the celebrated 14th century Arabian explorer, Ibn Battuta, the design of the shopping mall and the hotel draws inspiration from his legendary adventures.
From the property’s architecture, through to its décor and cuisine, each of the 10 floors is themed according to different legs of Ibn Battuta’s journeys spanning the Middle East, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe.
The hotel has 396 contemporary rooms with hints of Arabian heritage, which come complete with all of the state-of-the-art amenities, as well as themed Battuta suites, reflecting the 29 countries Ibn Battuta travelled through. The hotel also offers an extensive range of restaurants over eight different venues serving cuisine from China to Morocco and India to Italy.
The hotel is also an ideal conference venue, with a large ballroom which caters for up to 210 conference delegates and ten smaller meeting rooms designed for workshops and training sessions. It also has one of the largest ‘themed’ event spaces in the region. The Al Bahou or Grand Hall is 90 metres long and 30 metres high and can hold a reception of cocktail party for over 1,000 guests.
For the conscious guests, naturally the hotel comes with a fully equipped gym and 30 metre rooftop pool. However for those wanting sun, sand and sea, the hotel offers a complimentary ten-minute shuttle to the Oceana Beach Club, a sister property on the Palm Jumeirah. Oceana offers guests a private beach, infinity pool and lazy river along with a New York-style grill.
