Bahrain's stylish new five-star hotel, Downtown Rotana, was officially inaugurated yesterday in Manama.

Held under the auspices of Zayed Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, the event saw a number of VIP guests, members of the board and media in attendance. Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority acting chief executive Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Rotana chairman Nasser Al Nowais and Abdulla Buhindi, Banader Hotel chairman, were among the speakers at the conference.

Reflective of its name, the hotel is situated in downtown Manama, less than two minutes walking distance from the historical Bab Al Bahrain and traditional local market (souq), and only steps away from key corporate hubs such as Bahrain Financial Harbor.

The new hotel is the third Rotana property to open in Bahrain and aims to cater to the growing needs of the modern business community.

"With the opening of the Downtown Rotana, our inventory in Bahrain has increased to more than 680 rooms. Bahrain has always been a prime market for us in this region, and we are excited about the growth of this country's hospitality sector," said Omer Kaddouri, Rotana CEO and president, at the inaugural ceremony.

The 26-storey structure features 249 luxurious rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and unobstructed city views, four unique dining concepts, a rooftop swimming pool, a Bodylines Fitness and Wellness Club, a ballroom with 300+ capacity and ample state-of-the-art meeting facilities.

Furthermore, the group plans on expanding its presence in the region. "Rotana has aggressive expansion plans in this region and beyond, in line with our vision to be operating 100 hotels by 2020. This year we have opened three hotels, in Doha, Istanbul and here in Bahrain. And we have six more to open by the end of the year," Kaddouri said.

The upcoming properties will open in Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha, Amman, Erbil and Kinshasa in Congo. - TradeArabia News Service