A new $25 million hotel opens in Bahrain this month. It will also house the first branch outside London of top Indian restaurant The Bombay Brasserie.
The flagship restaurant of the Taj Group of Hotels will be located on the ground and mezzanine floors of the new hotel complex, opening in Seef. There will be no nightclubs in the hotel, which is targeting family tourism. The hotel, originally named as Noon Tower, is now being renamed as Rafael Hotel, after the French renaissance artist. The hotel complex and the restaurant are expected to create 180 jobs, about 50 per cent of them for Bahrainis. The Taj International Hotels chose Bahrain for the expansion of The Bombay Brasserie because of the tremendous growth in tourism experienced by the Kingdom in recent months, said director-operations Arun Harnal. "The restaurant, which has been popular with Hollywood stars and the elite class of tourists from Bahrain and other Gulf countries visiting London, is now celebrating its 20th anniversary," he said. Harnal said the restaurant, which has a separate entrance, would accommodate more than 150 guests. The hotel, located opposite to the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, is a joint venture project between India-born British businessman Sir Gulam Noon and Bahrain businessman Mohammed Dadabhai. "The 214-room hotel includes 96 double suites," said Dadabhai. "It has all the facilities of a five-star hotel, but will be marketed as a four-star deluxe hotel, in order to attract more families."