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INTERVIEW

Roger … very positive initial response

Injecting new life into the heart of Manama

MANAMA, June 19, 2016

By Sree Bhat

If the cars that queue up at the entrance of the brand-new Downtown Rotana in Manama are any indication, Downtown Rotana is already creating a buzz in Bahrain’s capital.

It’s almost three months since the five-star property opened in the heart of Manama, just a few metres from the traditional Manama souk on one side and key business and financial hubs on the other.

The 26-storey property is the third in Bahrain for the Rotana Group and offers 249 luxurious rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, panoramic city views and stylish interiors.

The upscale full service hotel is designed to cater to the needs of modern business and leisure travellers looking to be at the centre of commerce, culture and entertainment, says Lilian Roger, general manager, in an interview.

'We are bringing the strength of the brand Rotana to Bahrain’s heart. The brand is well known in the GCC and has properties across the region. About 95 per cent of our guests are from the GCC and a big chunk of them are from Saudi Arabia. The brand value proposition, our product and service and the trust we enjoy are our great strengths,' he says.

Downtown Rotana is a perfect blend of contemporary minimalism, urban vivacity and understated luxury, designed to complement the quality and sophistication of Bahrain’s hospitality scene, he continues.

Natural light flows deep into the hotel and together with the bright and vivid colour schemes, the hotel provides a warm atmosphere.

'The initial response has been really positive. We are in the process of creating more awareness about the hotel in the market and we have been able to meet expectations in terms up ramping up of business,' he adds.

Roger expresses satisfaction that the feedback from guests has been great overall. 'We have received great reviews from our guests on booking.com, which is a big contributor for our business, as well as on Tripadvisor,' he says.

According to him, the three Rotana properties in the kingdom provide three distinctive offerings. 'We are not competing in the same market and as a global company with the three properties, we are covering almost all segments,' says Roger.

While Downtown Rotana has a business focus, the hotel is also drawing good guest numbers from the leisure segment, especially from Saudi Arabia. 'We have a very good demand over the weekends, which tells us that maybe the perception of the area is changing or people are looking for something different and the efforts of the government to promote the souk are bearing fruit,' he says.

'With Bahrain’s tourism authority promoting the souk as a destination, we are hoping that the drive will trigger more interest in the area, especially from the GCC markets,' says Roger.

Since most of the guests drive into Bahrain, they are always just a few minutes away from all major shopping and other attractions. 'I don’t see the location as an obstacle at all,' he says, adding that the hotel offers free valet parking facility for guests.

Speaking on the advantages offered by the hotel, Roger says even the standard rooms are much bigger than those offered by other hotels in the area at a minimum of 36 sq m. The hotel also provides free high-speed internet, Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club with professional instructors; rooftop swimming pool; sauna and steam rooms; jacuzzi with private relaxation area; seven fully-equipped state-of-the-art meeting rooms; and a 300-capacity ballroom.

There are four dining options, including the award-winning Teatro Downtown, the hotel’s signature restaurant offering Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Asian, Indian and Italian fusion cuisine; the all-day dining venue – Flavours on 2 which serves daily breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets with international flavours; the ‘City Lobby Lounge’ that serves a selection of light snacks and home-made pastries and desserts throughout the day; and the Sundeck Pool Bar, located by the rooftop pool, which has a variety of snacks and beverages on the menu to keep guests cool and revitalised.

'Definitely our food and beverage (F&B) offering are a big advantage. Rotana, as a company, has always been extremely focused on value-for-money F&B and I think so far here we have managed to achieve and deliver on this promise. We want to position the hotel as a destination for great value food and beverages,' he says.

Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries are the number one market for the hotel. Roger also sees the US, France, the UK, Russia and Germany as some of the other key countries. Having worked in China, he sees much scope to develop that market as well. 'We have made the hotel Chinese friendly with menus in Chinese, more Chinese TV channels and some breakfast items for them,' he reveals.

Downtown Rotana aims to take its fair share of the market by the end of the year in all KPIs (key performance indicators) – whether it is occupancy or rates. 'After one year, we will continue our efforts to grow the occupancy and rates,' says Roger. -TradeArabia News Service



 




Tags: Bahrain | Rotana | downtown |

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