Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The kingdom’s hospitality sector’s big guns are out in force hoping to pick up prestigious accolades at an annual awards showdown, writes Stan Szecowka.
The finalists have been named for the 2016/17 Food & Travel Bahrain Awards with well-known worthy contenders, newcomers and some surprising omissions from the various categories.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay and the Swiss Belhotel Seef will be hoping to carry on where they left off after picking up local and regional prizes last year in the five and four star hotel categories respectively.
But at the moment minds are concentrating on coming up trumps on home territory after the success of the inaugural Bahrain Food and Travel Awards. “The discerning public have made their voices heard, selecting an elite band of finalists, ensuring the 2016/7 Bahrain Food & Travel Awards genuinely reflect not only public opinion but expert judgement too – a testament to the depth and quality of the nation’s flourishing hospitality industry, confirming Bahrain’s place on the culinary and tourism map,” said Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority, below.
Bahrain’s tourism executives have once again teamed up with Food and Travel Magazine to deliver what the organisers are calling ‘the ultimate standard for awards in the kingdom’. Organisers say more hotels, restaurants and establishments have participated this year and the support from Bahrain has been ‘unprecedented’, with more than 120,000 votes cast – almost double the number from last year.
“Over the last few months our expert panel has made multiple incognito visits to each finalist, to not only assess quality but also consistency and service, ensuring the Bahrain Food & Travel Awards remain the most prestigious and sought after awards in the region,” said Salah Alhaiki, publisher of Food and Travel Arabia.
Here is a list of some of the categories and finalists. Visit bahraintourismawards.com to see the full list of those who have made it through to the final round to be judged by the expert panel.
The winners will be announced at the Bahrain Food & Travel Bahrain Awards Gala Ceremony, which will be held at the InterContinental Regency Bahrain on February 22.
