The five-star Sheraton Bahrain Hotel’s lounge will stay upbeat this summer after undergoing a facelift and adding an all-new Latin sound to its stage in the hopes of enticing new guests and keeping existing patrons entertained.
The warm and comfortable An Nada Lounge just got more inviting with higher ceilings, a brighter ambience and a sizzling new all-female Cuban band called Intencion to keep visitors on their toes. This makeover is just one of the many enhancements that are being made to the timeless 34-year-old establishment.
Thomas Flindt, the hotel’s general manager, said: “We’re doing these touches to enhance various aspects of a guest’s experience, whether he or she is staying at the hotel or simply dining at our restaurants or lounge.
“We do have other plans in the works but they will be revealed when they are ready. Until then we will continue upgrading our facilities.
“For example, we are working on offering a live cooking island with a proper exhaust system at the all-day Al Safir restaurant which will give us more options to host brunches and theme nights and the hotel lobby won’t smell like fried eggs and toast in the morning.
“Also, we have upgraded all the computers in the business centre and we are changing the table set up at our popular Chinese restaurant Soie as well as adding a new menu.
“In terms of updating the hotel itself, we will need to close areas off to renovate them which we will not be doing any time soon.
“Nonetheless, whatever opportunities that we have to give the hotel a modern twist or facelift, we are working on it.”
While the changes may be ‘small’ as Mr Flindt put it, during his tête-à-tête with GulfWeekly in the hotel’s sleek and stylish Espressamente Illy Café, he still believes it’s the attention to details that can make a world of a difference.
Obviously their touches are working for them as the 256-room-and-suite hotel recently won the 2015 Bahrain’s Leading Business Hotel World Travel Awards, a prize recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire to. The hotel had also won the title in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014.
Mr Flindt, who has categorised himself as ‘a Sheraton man by birth’ has been working with the Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand for 23 years now. He has come a long way from his dishwashing days as a teen and peeling potatoes on a ship to handling senior positions in various Starwood kitchens.
In 1986, he became the Executive Sous Chef at Sheraton Hotel Oslo Fjord before taking on the role of director of food and beverage at Sheraton Copenhagen.
After his role as director, he took up posts in China, Thailand, Egypt, Pakistan and Africa. For the last six years, he has been general manager at Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun in Lebanon.
The 54-year-old Danish national, who now lives in Juffair with his wife Stina, believes that the reason why the hotel has remained so popular is not just because of its upscale restaurants or its fancy facilities, but it’s because of its hardworking and courteous team.
He said: “This old lady has been here for a long time with a lot of great people who have helped keep it at the top of the list of choices for where to stay in Bahrain for many years.
“Perhaps, the hotel will not be able to look as modern or as fresh as the newcomers to the market, but we have history in Bahrain, a strong base and a solid team of professionals.
“There is still a big handful of employees that are working with us today who started with the hotel when it was the only place in Bahrain. Having this loyal team with us, full of history and experience, gives a certain foundation to all the new talent that we are bringing in. It’s the people behind the scenes after all that make a difference to a hotel.
“I think that the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel has everything that you would expect from a classic five-star. It obviously has knowledgeable owners as everything put into it is of great quality. No corners were ever cut and I think that is why, after 34 years, while it doesn’t look modern, it is definitely well-maintained and you can only do that over this time period by having quality finishings and a solid foundation.
“Also, I truly believe that whether the hotel is made out of chrome, marble or brick it doesn’t matter, because, at the end of the day, all people really want out of a great hotel is a great bed, a great shower and great WiFi.
“In my opinion, a genuine smile, a can-do attitude and a squeaky-clean hotel can compete with anything new, be it four- or five-star.”
