Swiss-Belhotel International is continuing its expansion across the GCC with plans to open two new hotels in Bahrain in 2018. The new openings will triple the group’s inventory in Bahrain while introducing two brands to the country: Grand Swiss-Belhotel and Swiss-Belrisdences.
The first property, the Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef, is on the water banks of Bahrain’s Seef district near the country’s leisure and business attractions. The hotel opening in August 2018 has 193 guestrooms and suites, including four presidential suites. The second property, the Swiss-Belresidences Juffair, is set to open in the third quarter of 2018. The 129-room hotel is in Juffair is near dining and shopping venues.
“Bahrain remains a priority market for us where we see 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 travelers 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,” Laurent A. Voivenel, SVP, operations and development for the Middle East, Africa and India for Swiss-Belhotel International, said in a statement.
The announcement follows Swiss-Belhotel’s recent plans to have 20 operating hotels and 10 under construction in the Middle East and Africa by 2021. Five of these hotel projects will be in Africa while the remainder will be in gateway cities in the Middle East, specifically in the GCC. Swiss-Belhotel has 3,500 guestrooms in the Middle East and Africa, representing 17 percent of the company’s global portfolio.
“Tourism performance in the main cities across the Middle East is expected to remain strong with the fruition of major infrastructure projects, such as airport expansions, increased global connectivity and growth of low-cost carriers, new leisure attractions, enhanced business facilities and a year-long calendar of regional and international events,” Voivenel said in a statement.
Many of the company’s new hotels are slated to open in Saudi Arabia, attributing to 35 percent of its development pipeline. Six new Swiss-Belhotels are scheduled to open this year, three of which are in the kingdom.