Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
IF money is no object for expressing eternal love, perhaps the ultimate gift this Valentine’s Day is the Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre’s one-and-only weekend getaway package.
It is available to only one couple. The package begins on February 13, with a Rolls Royce pick-up. The couple will be swept up to the exclusive top floor Royal Suite upon arrival at the hotel, ornate with Bahraini pearls, roses, perfumes and candles.
They will tuck into in a special seven-course menu of divine delicacies fit for a king, specially prepared by a gourmet chef.
On the morning of Valentine’s Day, the couple will wake up to breakfast in-bed, before heading to the airport to be swept away in their own private jet with gourmet chef and butler service on-board.
The jet will be adorned with roses and chocolates and fly to Geneva, Switzerland. A helicopter will take the sweethearts to the breathtaking village of St. Amour, the namesake of Valentine’s Day.
They will be treated to true French culinary genius in the heart of the village, set in the middle of the gorgeous countryside.
After their candlelit dinner, they will return to Geneva by helicopter to continue their night in a suite at the Grand Hotel Kempinski, overlooking the romantic Lake Geneva in the middle of the snow-capped mountains.
The following day, after breakfast-in-bed, the couple will catch their private jet back to Bahrain to continue their weekend being pampered by expert hoteliers in the Royal Suite.
The couple will conclude their weekend with a visit from a jeweller, who will present a selection of pristine gems for the couple to design together their perfect Valentine’s Day jewellery, to take with them and forever cherish as a memento of their experience.
The package is priced at BD125,000. The booking must be made before February 7, and is only valid for February 13 to 16.
I have recently been overhearing some of my friends excitedly discussing their plans to go see the upcoming Justin Bieber concert taking place in Dubai on May 4.
Their conversation got me thinking about how many talented musical acts visit the UAE each year and how the last time I went to visit a concert in Bahrain was many years ago, when the then popular UK boy band Blue performed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Of course, since that time we have had a fair share of musical talent performing on the island, including the famous R’n’B stars Timberland and Florida. However, to gain entrance to these shows it was required to have a Formula 1 weekend ticket, something I didn’t possess at that time.
Regardless of my personal preference, it is clear to see why so many stars choose to perform in Dubai over the small island of Bahrain. To begin with, the number of residents in Dubai (and therefore the number of potential audience members) is far greater, but perhaps the most important aspect is the vast number of places in and around Dubai that are suitable to host such stars.
It is an experience I feel I have been missing out on whilst growing up in Bahrain.
