Seef/Sanabis
Bahrain’s business district of choice is also its main retail hub, with shopping centres such the Bahrain City Centre, Seef and Bahrain malls pulling in the crowds on the weekends. With the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre close by, the area is home to several hotels and serviced apartments, which cater to business travellers.

Ibis Hotel: The Ibis Seef is the first branded economy hotel in Bahrain, which is scheduled to open in mid-2011. This mid-scale property offers a 304-room mixed-accommodation tower. It’s located within the Kingdom’s burgeoning Seef commercial and shopping district adjacent to the Dana Mall and includes suites and apartments. The rooms are well-designed and compact making efficient use of space.

All rooms have modern amenities required by business travellers and come equipped with flat screen TVs and free internet connectivity. The 26-floor tower has spectacular views across the Arabian Gulf, an all-day dining restaurant, a café, two floors dedicated to meeting rooms of various configurations, a fitness centre and a swimming pool.

Holiday Inn: Opening in the Spring of 2012, the four-star Holiday Inn is positioned to appeal to the business executive. Located in the Seef district, the property has 210 spacious rooms and suites, with an average room size of 25 square metres. Each room features the new design-new generation room concept of Holiday Inn.
One entire floor of the property is dedicated to fitness and wellness, with a spa, gym and swimming pool. Two restaurants, an executive floor and an executive lounge are also planned.

Staybridge Dana Tower: The 130-room tower is scheduled to open at the end of 2012. This mixed-use property also offers modern office accommodation. It is located adjacent to Ibis Seef in the Seef commercial and shopping district.

Kempinski: Situated adjoining Bahrain City Centre in the Seef area, this property is set to open by the first quarter of 2011. The project includes two Kempinski hotel towers with 460 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites. The hotel will also include a 1,000 square metre day spa, which will feature sauna and hamam, a large outdoor pool and an extensive sundeck.

On offer will be different dining options including the open-concept ‘all day dining room’ offering the finest in international cuisine, the tea lounge offering an extensive selection of loose teas and light meals throughout the day and the pool bar and restaurant will offer fresh juices and sandwiches. The hotel will have a fully-equipped business centre with spacious interconnecting conference and banquet rooms as well as private meeting rooms and boardrooms.

Juffair
A favoured destination among expatriates in Bahrain, especially the Americans owing to the proximity of the US naval base, Juffair is home to many hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. With the restaurant district of Adliya virtually next door, the area enjoys a vibrant nightlife.

K Hotel: Managed by the Gulf Hotels Group, this four-star deluxe property promises to offer the comfort and ambience of a five-star hotel at four-star tariffs. Opening its doors in September this year, the 22-storey hotel tower has 237 rooms and suites in addition to three penthouses with private access on the top floors. Rooms have views of the Mina Salman seafront from the first floor onwards.

At the lobby level, there is Klouds, an all-day dining outlet which will transform into a warm and trendy steakhouse in the evening. The lobby also houses Mo Kan, an Asian fusion restaurant and The Kasbah lounge with live entertainment in the evenings and television screens beaming sports events.

The terrace on the first floor will feature a full size swimming pool for adults, a kids’ pool, a health club and spa as well as a European deluxe Bristo. For business travellers, the hotel offers five meeting rooms with seating capacity ranging from 10 to 170 people. A covered car park on the mezzanine floor provides 156 parking bays.

Elite Crystal Hotel: Scheduled to open in Juffair by December 2010, the Elite Crystal Hotel is an all-suites luxury property catering to the upscale ‘elite traveller’. The property offers
120 deluxe suites along with a range of dining, recreation and entertainment options. The hotel boasts of an extensive banqueting facility with a seating capacity for 300 people in the Crystal Ballroom.

The business needs of the discerning guests will be served by two other meeting rooms and a board room, with state-of-the-art equipment, while the leisure and recreation centre will offer a well equipped modern gymnasium, a Jacuzzi and a large outdoor swimming pool, along with a Mediterranean poolside café and bar.

Measuring upwards of 50 square metres, all the suites are spacious and exquisitely designed with a tastefully modern décor, hi-speed Internet and an array of TV channels. Three floors for car parking over the lobby level provide over 100 parking bays, well assisted by valet parking attendants.

Ramee Grand Hotel: Ramee Group’s first five-star offering in the Kingdom, the Ramee Grand is scheduled to open in Seef by the end of 2011. The hotel will have a total of 170 keys, of which 120 comprise guest rooms and the rest luxury suites.

The property will have one of the biggest lobby areas, equalling around 500 square metres with nine elevators operating across different levels in the building.

The rooms are spacious, with the minimum room size being 45 square metres. A full fledged banqueting facility for around 1,000 people is another hallmark of this hotel property.

Food and beverage facilities will span two levels — the lobby and mezzanine level will have a spacious all day dining, two speciality restaurants, a tea lounge, a western style dine ‘n’ dance venue and a contemporary rooftop privileged club.

The 23-storey building will have parking facilities across three levels in the basement, providing for 300 bays. The hotel will also include a Far East style spa and will also offer unique hydrothermal therapy facilities.

Northern Governate
Rixos Marina West: Scheduled to open by 2012, this hotel aims to blend the rich lifestyle of ancient Turkish culture with modern day luxury. Located on the West Coast of Bahrain (Janabiya), overlooking the marina and the sea, the hotel has two levels of common podium, with 32 main floors built over it. The property comprises 286 rooms including one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Facilities for leisure include large infinity swimming pools with sun patios, an oceanfront whirlpool, a kids’ pool and a fitness centre. The hotel will have five luxurious restaurants and lounges including an all day dining restaurant, a restaurant specialising in Anatolian Cuisine, a Le Petit Chateau, a meat restaurant, Izakaya, a seafood Restaurant and Zils, an Italian cuisine restaurant. Business facilities include an executive business centre, wireless Internet services in public space, conference concierge, techno butler services as well as meeting and events facilities.

Southern Governorate
The largest of the five governorates, this district comprises the desert stretching across most of south Bahrain down to the Hawar Islands. Though the least populated, the district boasts tourist attractions like the Sakhir desert, Bahrain International Circuit, Al Areen Wildlife Park, Bahrain’s only public beach at Zallaq and the Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park.

Sofitel Zallaq Beach Resort: Reminiscent of the sea shells found on the beach, the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa resembles a large circular arc on the Arabian Gulf. Located on the Zallaq Beach, this ultra-luxury beach front property is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Each of the hotel’s 262 rooms boasts cutting-edge technology and aprivate balcony with sea views. There are 21 Prestige Suites and 6 roof-top Opera Suites, each one individually themed, with private terrace and infinity pool. The Imperial Suite, with its breathtaking views across the Arabian Gulf, has a private terrace, an infinity pool and a Jacuzzi.

The hotel is the first in the GCC to offer thalassotherapy; the hotel’s 2,000 square metre spa complex features 14 treat-ment rooms combining seawater hydrotherapy, massages and wellness programmes. The meeting rooms and banquet facilities can accommodate up to 1,200 people and feature top-of-the-range audio visual equipment. The hotel offers a wide variety of cuisines from all over the world.