As part of its strategic expansion across the GCC, Swiss-Belhotel International unveiled today at the Arabian Travel Market two new hotels slated to open in Bahrain this quarter. With these new openings the group will triple its inventory of rooms in the Kingdom while ushering in two new brands into the country that is its luxurious 5-star brand ‘Grand Swiss-Belresort’ and midscale brand ‘Swiss-Belresidences’.
Superbly located on the scenic water banks of the Seef district, overlooking the Arabian Gulf in close proximity to Bahrain’s major leisure and business attractions, Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef is a magnificent 5-star. Featuring 193 luxurious rooms and suites including four presidential suites, the hotel will welcome its first guest in August 2018. Included in its facilities is an all-day-dining restaurant, two specialty fine-dine restaurants, a Sky Bar, night clubs, a spectacular ballroom with a capacity to accommodate up to 300 guests, spa with five treatment rooms, health club and swimming pool.
The second property, Swiss-Belresidences Juffair is gearing up for opening in the third quarter of 2018. Centrally located in Juffair – a popular hub for dining and shopping venues – it is an upper midscale hotel-apartment complex boasting 129 (1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments and penthouse) with beautiful facilities. These include an array of leisure and entertainment features for families ranging from a business lounge, superb spa and health club to an outdoor swimming pool, cinema, games room for all ages and playground.
Mr. Gavin M. Faull, Chairman and President of Swiss-Belhotel International, said, “We are pleased to expand our footprint in Bahrain where we have enjoyed great success since the opening of our first property Swiss-Belhotel Seef. The new developments are in line with our multi-brand growth strategy and are testament to the confidence of owners in our brands. Swiss-Belhotel International, with a strong track record in delivering world-class hospitality with 14 award-winning brands, is well-poised to meet the rising demand for high quality accommodation in the market. We look forward to a long-term partnership with our valued owners and associates.”
Elaborating on Swiss-Belhotel International’s rapid expansion in Bahrain, Mr. Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India for Swiss-Belhotel International, said, “Bahrain remains a priority market for us where we see massive opportunity for growth driven by strong demand for the destination. We are confident that our upcoming properties in Bahrain, with their exceptional facilities and superb locations, will appeal to travellers seeking outstanding comfort and value for money. Both Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef and Swiss-Belresidences Juffair are an excellent addition to our portfolio and, along with our existing business hotel, will be complementing each other. This will tremendously enhance our brand offering in the Kingdom.”
Bahrain welcomed a total of 12.7 million tourists in 2017 and is targeting 15.2 million visitors in 2018. Continued investment in tourism infrastructure with solid increase in arrivals, particularly from the region, is contributing to this massive growth in Bahrain’s tourism sector. Tourism investment is set to rise further with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) forecasting total foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector to increase from the current $300 million to $500 million in the next few years. As part of these developments, Bahrain International Airport is undergoing a US $1.1 billion modernisation programme, set to increase passenger capacity from nine to 14 million per year by 2020. Other infrastructure investment projects include the development of fabulous shopping malls such as Dilmunia Mall and the Marassi Galleria shopping complex, to join the recently-opened US $159 million Avenues Mall at Bahrain Bay.