AL AREEN Palace and Spa, situated in Sakhir, Bahrain, experienced an eventful and successful 2013 with plenty of upgrades and additional facilities.
The property introduced two new dining outlets including Saffron Al Areen serving Bahraini-Khaleeji fusion cuisine and Keizo offering tastes from the Far East including Japanese, Chinese, and Thai.
The health and fitness club including the gym, dance studio and a kids club were upgraded and free amenities were introduced including free minibars in the villas.
Lastly, the Royal Spa was also upgraded with new signature treatments and services. The spa was also won the Best Spa Design and Best Destination Spa for 2013 at the Middle East Spa Awards (MESPA).
Dr Essa Faqih, adviser at the Al Areen Palace and Spa, says: “As well as refurbishing, upgrading and adding new outlets, we also enhanced our most important resource – our staff by adding new members and conducting comprehensive training for all our existing team members.”
In terms of occupancy rates, the property witnessed an increase of up to 20 per cent compared to the previous year.
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Dr Faqih |
Dr Faqih says: “Our key source markets are the family and leisure, holiday and sport segments. We also had an increase in our special occasion segment which includes weddings and corporate events. We are now tapping new source markets such as the Mice segment, young professionals as well as University students.”
This year, developers of the Al Areen Palace and Spa, Al Areen Holding Company, will open a new hospital, American International Specialised Hospital, as part of its expansion plans. Dr Faqih adds that this will open a new segment in terms of medical tourism in the country, which will in turn benefit the hotel. The $12 million hospital, spread over 25,000 sq m, is a strategic partnership between Al Areen Holding Company and US-based firm Avenue Ventures.
He adds: “Likewise, another major step that we started in the last quarter of 2013 is taking the brand name of Al Areen Palace from a local brand into a regional and worldwide brand by launching an exclusive hospitality management company that seeks to manage up and coming hotels which will be on par with what we cater for.”
In the first quarter of this year, five unique restaurants, comprising the Al Areen Food Village, will open at the property giving guests the chance to enjoy five different dining experiences – Lebanese, Italian, American, live barbecue stations as well as tikkas and cafés.
A new organic spa café will be launched at The Royal Spa to serve health conscious clientele while new signature treatments will also be added.
Dr Faqih concludes: “We will also add new events and activities in our calendar. We hope to make Al Areen Palace and Spa not just an escape from the city, but also a destination offering the best in dining and entertainment on the island. We look forward to a bright 2014.”