Swiss-Belhotel International has announced two new hotels to open in Bahrain this year, while ushering in two new brands in the country.

With a goal of 20 hotels in operation and 10 under construction by 2021, Swiss-Belhotel International has massive plans for the Middle East and Africa. Five of the projects will be in Africa, while the remaining will be in gateway cities across the Middle East. As part of its strategy to expand in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the hotel group will open two new properties in the region this year, and triple its inventory of rooms in the Kingdom.

“A testament to the confidence of owners in our brands.”

Gavin Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said: “We are pleased to expand our footprint in Bahrain where we have enjoyed great success since the opening of our first property Swiss-Belhotel Seef. The new developments are in line with our multi-brand growth strategy and are a testament to the confidence of owners in our brands.”

Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef

The first property, Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef, is a five-star hotel featuring 193 rooms including four presidential suites. It’s located in the water banks of the Seef district, overlooking the Arabian Gulf and in close proximity to Bahrain’s leisure and business attractions.

On the property will be an all-day-dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants, a Sky Bar, nightclubs, a ballroom with a capacity to accommodate up to 300 guests, a spa with five treatment rooms, health club and swimming pool.

Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef is scheduled to open in August 2018.

Swiss-Belresidences Juffair

The second property, Swiss-Belresidences Juffair, will be located at the heart of Juffair, a popular hub for dining and shopping venues. The hotel will be an upper midscale hotel-apartment complex with 129 apartments and a penthouse.

It will also include a mix of leisure and entertainment facilities including a business lounge, spa and health club, an outdoor swimming pool, cinema, games room and playground.

Swiss-Belresidences Juffair is slated to open in the third quarter of 2018.

Elaborating on Swiss-Belhotel International’s rapid expansion in Bahrain, Laurent Voivenel, senior vice president, operations and development for the Middle East, Africa and India for Swiss-Belhotel International, said: “Bahrain remains a priority market for us where we see a massive opportunity for growth driven by strong demand for the destination.

“We are confident that our upcoming properties in Bahrain, with their exceptional facilities and superb locations, will appeal to travellers seeking outstanding comfort and value for money. Both Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef and Swiss-Belresidences Juffair are an excellent addition to our portfolio and, along with our existing business hotel, will be complementing each other. This will tremendously enhance our brand offering in the Kingdom.”

“Bahrain remains a priority market for us where we see a massive opportunity for growth”

Bahrain tourism

In 2017, Bahrain welcomed a total of 12.7 million tourists and is targeting 15.2 million visitors this year. The island country in the Persian Gulf continues its investments in tourism infrastructure with a solid increase in arrivals. Plus, with the Bahrain Economic Development Board forecasting total foreign direct investment (FDI) to increase from the current US$300 million to $500 million in the next few years, the investment in the tourism sector is increasing side by side.

Furthermore, Bahrain International Airport is undergoing a $1.1 billion modernisation programme to increase passenger capacity from 9 to 14 million per year by 2020.

Other infrastructure investment projects include the development of shopping malls such as Dilmunia Mall and the Marassi Galleria shopping complex, to join the recently-opened $159 million Avenues Mall at Bahrain Bay.