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Greg Pirkle is a man on the move and with a mission to open the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay by the spring of next year.
The pace of building work is stepping up as an army of labourers and technicians put the final touches to the property as the finishing line draws ever closer.
Keeping abreast of the action and a familiar face with the gangs of workers, lift operators and security officers on duty each day, Greg, a sprightly 51-year-old American, can clock 20,000 steps on a ‘good tour of the hotel’ and has shed 6kg from his slender frame since taking on the task of general manager.
Clad in blue jeans instead of his normal business suit attire, he wears a walk-o-metre gadget on his wrist to measure his daily treks around the building and grounds and although this is the fourth hotel opening he has been involved in, the smile on his face is evidence that the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is turning into something special.
“Let’s just say that every time we open a new property we can learn something new, some way of doing things with more class and expertise. It’s simply a case of asking if you could do it again, or add something to make the experience better for the team and its guests, what would it be?
“Information makes all the difference and every little bit of industry knowledge has been incorporated to make this hotel spectacular.”
The examples are clear to see from the addition of a garage door into the ballroom to allow easy access for car dealers staging new model launches to a live music-cum-recording studio by the venue so that a live male band can play for women-only wedding gatherings via a state-of-the-art sound system thus addressing traditional cultural norms.
The hotel is designed with two 201m tall towers with 17 floors accommodating 273 guest rooms and suites and linked by a Sky Bridge.
The Four Seasons occupies the central island of Bahrain Bay where guests will have stunning 360 degree views of the Manama skyline and the coast was as clear as daylight when GulfWeekly was shown around on a tour of completed guest suites as well as meeting rooms labelled Sky 1 to 4 on the bridge.
Even the cooks and vegetable peelers will be able to share the experience through a window as they conjure up the cuisine in the kitchens overseen by the hotel’s own Executive Chef Stefano Andreoli.
The property’s striking design is already an iconic landmark and lighting engineers will ensure it provides as dramatic an appearance at night with testing continuing.
One-hundred-year-old olive trees have been transported from Lebanon and Egypt to line the approach to the hotel. They come in living sections and are being cleverly bonded together to allow them to thrive in their new setting alongside a spectacular water feature and under a canopy boasting a skylight offering both shade and natural brightness in abundance.
The main Bahrain Ballroom and its smaller sister facility called the Manama Ballroom are easily accessible to the left, and, to the right, are entrances to a signature restaurant and the spa.
Depending on the size of the parties booked, the ballrooms can be divided into one, two or three spaces.
In the main ballroom mighty two-metre tall chandeliers brighten up the surroundings boasting 46,000 crystals on each and they move up and down on a pulley-system for making cleaning an easy task.
Numerous hanging points have been constructed on the ceilings so any products, large or small, can be dangled on display as the high-tech sound system blasts out accompanying beats.
The bridal suite is something else too with dressing rooms for the bridesmaids, plus a photo studio, hair salon and make-up parlour, bride’s bathroom with tub and shower and a private walkway into the ballroom to ensure each special lady can make a grand entrance on her big day.
The facilities could easily double up to delight delegates out of the wedding season. As could the lush grass reception area outside.
Express elevators transport guests to the meeting rooms on the Sky Bridge and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s Asian restaurant entitled simply ‘re’ – spelt in lower case and taken from the ‘re’ in reinterpretation, rebirth, reincarnation and regeneration; each in their own way suggest what Puck is doing with his cuisine.
The grand Debut Lounge and entrance lobby with its 12-metre tall ceilings will provide a few gasps too as visitors step inside with its cool marble flooring and eight olive trees nestling sweetly close to four curtained alcoves adorned with sofas and tables offering the option of privacy and comfort to new arrivals.
A spiral staircase will take diners down to the Bahrain Bay Kitchen, a buffet-style all-day dining destination.
Architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and the Four Seasons’ construction team and designers have also made full use of its location by the sea with an array of terraces, plus a 30-metre pier and lock for small craft to be docked, and guests will also be able to dive into the bay and swim to their heart’s content inside a roped-off area whilst enjoying an invigorating ‘salt water experience’.
Guests and visitors enjoying Vento, the poolside restaurant, can relax on one of the 220 chaise loungers and use a paging system to order food and refreshments.
The Azure Pool, an adults-only area, boasts six air-conditioned super cabanas featuring flat-screen TVs, a living area, private bathrooms, bars, loungers, with butlers in attendance, of course, and it promises to be a cool place to hang-out for the trendy crowd as the DJ electrifies the atmosphere each evening.
Younger members of the family have not been forgotten either. The aptly-named Kids For All Seasons play-area even has a creative dining section where the little ones can cook up a treat making cookies and other goodies whilst mum and dad skip off for a refreshing spa treatment in the knowledge that their children are being well cared for and entertained.
With a limited membership of only 860 the exclusive health club has already created a wave of interest in the community. Membership prices have still to be announced but applications will be welcomed shortly.
The Four Seasons spa has been split into two, offering separate entrances to the women’s-only section and the facilities used by both men and women. Spa director Chandarella Luzon, most recently of the acclaimed Spa at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai in Thailand, will lead a team of internationally-trained therapists who will work their magic in 17 luxuriously-appointed treatment rooms.
An array of ‘well-being’ arenas include steam, salt inhalation and cool mist sections, Turkish baths, a 25-metre lap pool and the introduction to the island of anti-gravity yoga facilities, the latest health fad taking the world by storm.
Guests may wish to shed a few kilos if they are tempted by the fare on offer. The equipment has arrived to fit out two in-house bakeries, one exclusively for the use of Puck’s three signature restaurants.
Art work from an array of Bahraini artists, all chosen by a professional curator, has already started to adorn the walkways and bedrooms and many more will be placed on the walls during the coming weeks.
The lowest guest room section is on the 11th floor and it is currently being guarded by security personnel wearing plastic covers over their shoes to ensure they don’t scuff the carpets which, for added protection, have covers temporarily laid down.
Natural solid wood doors shimmered under the lights in the corridor with an expensive glint often witnessed inside a luxury limo as the light reflects off its veneer panels.
Interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon’s inspiration came from the glamorous ocean liners of the 1930s, realised here in modern lines with Art Deco accents and a calming colour palette. Particular attention has been paid to lighting design, transforming spaces from day to night and taking full advantage of the hotel’s abundant natural light.
All rooms are equipped with 55-inch flat-screen TVs, eye level mini-bars (it’s such a pain in the back having to bend down to retrieve a late-night snack or refreshment, according to customer feedback), his and hers double vanity sets in the bathrooms and deluxe king-size beds to rest weary heads.
The price of the rooms for overnight stays has still to be announced.
For the active executive a 24-hour business centre will be available. There will be six prayer rooms located throughout the hotel too.
Greg and his senior managers have already moved into the complex’s offices and recruitment of further staff members is accelerating with interest shown by more than 2,000 candidates for positions on offer. The opening provides a golden opportunity for young Bahrainis keen to take a first step on the hospitality industry ladder as Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay will be providing around 650 jobs at its peak.
With approximately 4,000 workers beavering away wearing hard hats and safety shoes, every day marks a recognisable step towards completion. Greg gave GulfWeekly an exclusive whistle-stop tour of the site for this article and only recorded around 5,000 steps on this occasion.
Within a few weeks the temporary bridge for construction traffic will have been removed and long forgotten, water will flow surrounding the property, the 200 outside parking spaces and the 1,000 underground car parking bays will be full of vehicles belonging to guests and visitors anxious to put the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay experience to the test.
All the physical effort and mental stress will have paid off. “Forget about soft openings and easing our way into the hospitality scene. We’ll do it right, we’ll open 100 per cent and we’re looking at a 2015 mid-first quarter opening date,” said Greg.
“This is Bahrain’s moment. I can’t wait to welcome guests to Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. From that eye-popping first impression of our distinctive building rising from its own private island in the middle of the bay to the incredible attention to every comfort and whim of our guests, we promise a true urban resort experience.”
One thing is for sure, Greg will be walking the circuit with a spring in his step.
