The 149-room, four-star Swiss-Belhotel Seef in Bahrain officially opened on July 27 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Bahrain’s new business district. Swiss-Belhotel International chairman and president Gavin M Faull (second from left) said: “We are excited to be expanding in the Middle East and Bahrain is a very important market, which we are delighted to be entering. I am confident our blend of efficient service, professionalism, spacious rooms – much larger than you would normally find in a hotel in this category - and high value rates will be popular amongst business travellers in the region.” The Hong Kong-based firm aims operate up to seven hotels in the Middle East by 2015. This year will see Swiss-Belresort Ghantoot open in the UAE and Swiss-Belinn Ghubrah Muscat in Oman, Swiss-Belhotel Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Swiss-Belhotel Erbil in Iraq will all open in 2015.