Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with leading real estate developer Majid Al Futtaim Properties to launch its Westin and Le Méridien brands in Bahrain.

Scheduled to debut in early July this year, The Westin Bahrain City Centre and Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre will be located in the heart of Manama and are in close proximity to popular tourist and commercial areas such the Manama Souq, King Faisal Corniche and Diplomatic Area.

Combined, the two hotels will add 460 rooms to Starwood’s portfolio in Bahrain. Both hotels are directly linked to Bahrain City Centre, which is the country’s premier shopping and entertainment destination and is owned by Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

“Following last year’s successful conversion and opening of Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates, we are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Majid Al Futtaim Properties as we debut our Westin and Le Méridien brands in Bahrain,” said Michael Wale, president, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East.

“We have a long presence in the country, dating back to 1981 when we opened the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel. We look forward to expanding our footprint here with the launch of these two distinct lifestyle brands later this year.”

George Kostas, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “We are very pleased with today’s announcement and welcome the addition of these two new brands to our portfolio. We believe they will add significant value to our offering in Bahrain and will further strengthen the position of our 11 hotels across the region.”

The Westin Bahrain City Centre

The Westin Bahrain City Centre will feature 200 rooms, including six executive suites and a Presidential Suite. All rooms will have the renowned Westin Heavenly Bed, the Heavenly Bath enhanced with the brand’s Heavenly Shower, the Heavenly Robe and the latest modern in-room technology. The Westin Bahrain City Centre will also offer five dining venues and over 6,500 sq ft of event space.

Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre

Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre will offer 260 contemporary guest rooms, including 18 executive suites and a Presidential Suite, all outfitted with the signature Le Méridien Bed. The hotel will feature three dining venues including the brand’s signature Latitude coffee bar and lounge and an all-day dining restaurant and will have over 5,000 sq ft of modern event and meeting space, including a business centre, ballroom and five meeting rooms.

Guests of the two hotels will be able to enjoy access to all the facilities and amenities of both hotels.

“The Westin and Le Méridien brands are enjoying phenomenal global growth in the Middle East where they are poised for further expansion,” said Bart Carnahan, Senior Vice President Acquisitions & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “The debut of these brands in Bahrain will mark an important milestone for us as we introduce Westin’s winning approach to well-being and Le Méridien’s contemporary lifestyle.”

Starwood operates nearly 50 hotels and resorts across the Middle East under eight of the company’s nine distinct lifestyle brands including: The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Méridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. The company has plans to further expand its portfolio in the region with a pipeline of over 35 hotels due to open by 2017.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with nearly 1,200 properties in 100 countries and 181,400 employees at its owned and managed properties.

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is a leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer in the region, which owns and operates 17 shopping malls, 11 hotels and three mixed-use communities in Mena, with further developments underway in the region. – TradeArabia News Service