Bahrain’s latest five-star hotel believes ‘location, location, location’ will make all the difference to its success in the island’s highly-competitive hospitality sector.
The Downtown Rotana hosted its grand opening ceremony last week under the patronage of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Al Zayani, in the presence of senior government officials, hotel executives and guests.
The 26-storey property, located right next to the Bab al Bahrain in the heart of Manama, offers 249 rooms and suites with surrounding views of the city, four food and beverage outlets, a Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club with a rooftop swimming pool, and a host of corporate meeting spaces.
General manager Lilian Roger is the man at the helm, and the native Frenchman has big designs for the new hotspot, which is his first posting in the Middle East after spells in France, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Japan, China and Australia. He said: “The hotel’s location is one of its unique selling points and key differentiators; Downtown Rotana is right in the heart of Manama.
“The beauty of our location is that our property lies between the old city and Bahrain’s modern skyline.
“We offer convenience and accessibility to guests who want to be at the core of business and culture. Bab al Bahrain and the souq is right on our doorstep and key hubs such as the World Trade Centre, the Diplomatic Area and Bahrain Financial Harbour are within five minutes’ walking distance.
“The competition is intense, but being a new property already sets it apart from the competition in the area, providing a contemporary design where daylight and open space prevail. We offer great value for money with high-quality food and beverage offerings combined with Arab hospitality, represented by Rotana’s famous Arabic welcome experience from the minute you walk through the lobby with our hostesses offering dates and Arabic coffee.”
As operations continue to gather steam, a large number of promotional activities are in the pipeline. This will start with the launch of its restaurant Teatro next month, which will also join the famous Bahrain Friday brunch scene. Also in gestation is a City Lobby Lounge take-away menu that will appeal to those looking for lunch in the area, while traditional iftar and ghabga offerings will emerge during Ramadan.
The property is owned by Banader Hotels Company and is managed by Rotana Hotel Management Corporation.
The property is the third managed by Rotana in Bahrain, after the Majestic Arjaan and the ART Rotana. It manages more than 100 hotels around the world.
Finally, Lilian has a simple message for GulfWeekly readers who are undecided on their next hospitality destination and are considering the Downtown Rotana: “Trying is better than regretting!”
