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Bahrain is currently one of the safest places for hospitality investors to direct their capital. And there’s more good news...

The stable, transparent commercial practices of Bahrain have created year-round business activity — which has a positive return on investment impact for hoteliers.

“Bahrain’s thriving business community is doing business all year round, reducing seasonality for operators,” says Marriott Hotels International area director of sales and marketing in the Middle East, Jeff Strachan.

Bahrain’s thirst for new developments and foreign investment is set to open a new chapter for the country’s hospitality industry.

The Bahrain of today will be unrecognisable by 2013 when many of the flagship development programmes are due to complete.

In 2011, a Four Seasons Hotel will become the flagship property on Bahrain Bay, a US $2.5 billion mixed-use development on the north eastern coast of Manama. Overall, the development has performed well during the economic slowdown, despite unexpected breaks in construction during 2009.

The new Four Seasons property was redesigned accordingly during this period and was significantly scaled back from an 85-storey building to 65 storeys. It is expected that construction will resume mid-way through 2010 and that the property is still on course to complete in 2011 as planned.

According to Bahrain Bay CEO Bob Vincent, all third party developers are still on board and construction for many projects is due to restart this year.

Elsewhere, Marriott is opening its second project in Bahrain — a Renaissance Hotel on Amwaj Islands.

The 30 million square feet that comprise this group of man-made islands hosts leisure resorts, commercial districts and residential neighbourhoods. In addition, Amwaj Islands is supplying waterfront properties, which are in short supply in Bahrain.

Economic woes aside, Marriott has found that the development process for new properties in Bahrain is well supported. “Construction of our Renaissance Amwaj Island Hotel is proceeding well,” comments Strachan. “In fact, when we recently opened our Marriott Executive Apartments in Manama, we found that Bahrain has a very progressive system. Everyone has been extremely helpful in the build up to the opening of our properties and our development team will continue to search for additional opportunities moving forwards.”

Rotana, in preparing for its first Bahrain opening in 2011, has also discovered the ease of doing business in the country.

“We’re making our first entry into Bahrain with a five-star property opposite the financial harbour and so far there have been no specific challenges,” explains Rotana area vice president for Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait Joseph Coubat.

“We have been involved in this project since its very inception and have built a strong relationship with the property developers. This has ensured the quality of the final physical product.”

Source: Hotelier Middle East - 11 January, 2010

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