Seven Tides has officially relaunched its Ibn Battuta Gate hotel in Dubai as the NH Collection Dubai Ibn Battuta, completing a phased overhaul of the property previously trading as the Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel. The 396-room hotel is owned by Seven Tides and run by Minor Hotels, the same pairing behind NH Collection Dubai The Palm, which opened on Palm Jumeirah in 2023 as the brand's UAE debut.
The refurbishment touched just about everything a guest notices: rooms, suites and public areas have been refreshed, and new dining options have been added to the mix. Room categories run from Collection, Superior and Premium Rooms up to Junior, Family and Terrace Pool Suites — the latter featuring private outdoor terraces with temperature-controlled pools. Two-bedroom configurations suit families and longer-stay travellers, while Club Rooms and suites come with Executive Lounge access.
Food and drink is a big part of the repositioning. Benihana, the Japanese teppanyaki brand, anchors the restaurant line-up, joined by new concepts Taste (all-day dining) and Nomad, a speciality coffee café. They slot in alongside existing venues including McGettigan's, Rodeo Drive and the Skyline Pool Bar.
Beyond the rooms and restaurants, there's a rooftop pool, fitness centre, spa, beauty salon and a Kids Club. Business travellers and event planners get 871 square metres of meeting space plus flexible breakout rooms, which explains why the owner is pitching the hotel at conferences and corporate groups as much as holidaymakers.
Location is the practical selling point: the hotel sits directly beside Ibn Battuta Mall, one of Dubai's themed shopping centres, with metro access and reasonable reach to the Marina, Jebel Ali and the Expo business districts. For visitors, that means you're not paying Palm Jumeirah prices but you're still plugged into the city's transport spine — the mall's own metro station is on the Red Line, an easy ride from downtown and the airport.
Why it matters: Dubai keeps adding flagship luxury, so a refreshed premium-midscale option near a metro station fills a useful gap for families, MICE groups and travellers who want space and facilities without resort pricing. If you've stayed at the old Oaks property, expect a noticeably different experience under the NH Collection banner. Reporting via Breaking Travel News.
