Pierre Vasseur, general manager of Al Areen Palace and Spa, Lost Paradise Water Park, has had more than 30 years in the hospitality industry. He moved to the Middle East about six years ago, starting with Dubai, then Doha and now he finds himself in Bahrain.
“Al Areen Palace Hotel & Spa is doing really well as it is a niche market,” informs the general manager. “Saudi Arabia is our number one market followed by Kuwait, which is very strong in the summer and then of course, the local residents of Bahrain. We are now just starting to see some business from Qatar but sadly, not much from the UAE.”
“We are always trying, of course, to look at other markets. We are more of a family friendly resort, but we are also opening up to the meetings and incentives market. We have the ideal product for this segment as we are a destination in itself. We offer the largest spa in the Middle East, we have the Lost Paradise Water Park next door, a convention centre and four different restaurants offering different cuisines.”
“There are more and more competitors in Bahrain with the newly opened Four Seasons, a new Wyndham is on its way and many other brands, but we are a class apart.
“First, we are not in the city, we are 40 kilometres away from the city and near the Formula One site.
“We are unique too as we are the only villa resort offering 78 villas with their own private swimming pools and Jacuzzis, offering total privacy.
Parts of the hotel have been renovated since he has arrived. After Banyan Tree, the spa and swimming pool has been refreshed, while villas have been upgraded.
“We have big plans for summer and Ramadan. It will be very quiet on the accommodation side but food and beverage will do well. This year, we will have a Ramadan tent in the middle of the resort (maybe one of the biggest on the island, 30 metres by 30 metres capacity of up to 600 guests) with live cooking stations and live entertainment.”
By Kim Thomson