Swiss-Belresidences Juffair to open by year end in Bahrain

Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has signed a management agreement with Hassan Lari Property Development & Management to operate Swiss-Belresidences Juffair in Bahrain.

The signing marks the debut of Swiss-Belresidences brand in Bahrain. Hassan Lari Property Development & Management general manager Mohamed Lari said, “We look forward to working with a partner like Swiss-Belhotel International.

“Swiss-Belresidences Juffair has been designed keeping in mind the comfort and flexibility that today’s modern travellers demand, and will offer guests an enriching experience.”

Swiss-Belhotel International senior vice president, operations and development for the Middle East, Africa, and India Laurent A. Voivenel said, “GCC is a strategic growth market for us and we are delighted to announce this new property in Bahrain with Hassan Lari Property Development & Management. We are confident Swiss-Belresidences Juffair will appeal to both leisure and business travellers.”

Expected to open by the end of 2017, Swiss-Belresidences Juffair is an upper midscale hotel apartment complex featuring 129 two- and three-bedroom serviced units each equipped with a kitchen.

Recreation and dining facilities comprise a swimming pool, a large spa connected with the health club, a mini theatre, a kids club, an all-day-dining restaurant, and a deli corner in the lobby.

The growing demand for quality hotels across the Middle East is helping to fuel the rapid expansion of Swiss-Belhotel International in the region. Gavin M. Faull, chairman and president of Swiss-Belhotel International, said: “This new signing reinforces our commitment to the Middle East where we currently have more than 3,500 rooms under development.

“We are excited to expand our presence in the region and offer our guests more choice in this evolving market where we have been operating with great success for over a decade.”

The tourism sector is an essential pillar of Bahrain’s economy. The country recently unveiled its new tourism identity ‘Ours. Yours. Bahrain’ as part of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) commitment towards reinvigorating the tourism industry.

Bahrain showed strong growth in tourist numbers in 2016, witnessing a 6% increase in tourist arrivals, receiving 12.2 million people. The country’s tourism sector is expected to further grow at a CAGR of 4.8% reaching US $1 billion by 2020.

In accordance the hotel capacity is expected to increase by 4,000 rooms in Bahrain by 2020. The upcoming hotels will add to the kingdom’s existing portfolio of over 190 hotels with most of the upcoming supply filling the gap in the mid-market and luxury sector.