Floating hotel in Bahrain set for October opening

A floating hotel with 14 rooms and two suites is set to open in Bahrain later this year.

The C-Hotel will be docked at Coral Bay in Manama and is being described by its owner as a five-star facility, according to a report in Gulf Daily News.

Seven Leisure Group, owned by businessman Akram Miknas, is behind the project and has invested US $5 million in converting a boat it purchased six months ago into a hotel.

All 14 rooms, measuring 20 square metres each, as well as the two suites, will have balconies. All rooms will have also have a dining area, a large television, writing desk and integrated smart technologies among other amenities.

Fixtures, furnishing and even the carpet have all been custom designed in Italy for the project, according to Miknas, who explained to the newspaper where he expects business for the hotel to come from.

"Throughout the year we thought the hotel would attract small families, tourists and people coming for business.

"We expect that there will be a lot of Saudis and well-to-do families from the Gulf and Europe.

"I think they will give us preference rather than being in a big hotel, as they can enjoy the beach, the spa, the restaurants and the gym in one location."

He added that rates for the hotel have not been set yet.

The idea of using floating hotels has been suggested in Qatar to meet the extra demand for rooms during the 2022 World Cup.