What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 25 May 2016

Welcome to another week and whilst you might think that its unlikely you will ever be asked to find a hotel in cities such as Bahrain or Tel Aviv, we are great believers here at Cloud 9 Event Management that you never know when you might just get an enquiry!

So this week we are continuing our series of looking at new hotels around the world with a focus on those cities and others in the Middle East, all of which seem to be experiencing a surge in developments.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. recently announced that it will debut the W brand later this year with the opening of W Tel Aviv, which in addition to the hotel, will also feature The Residences at W Tel Aviv, in Jaffa. The ancient port city of Jaffa is south of the main city centre of Tel Aviv, and is currently undergoing a major restoration project that includes multi-million dollar investments in its vast infrastructure, as well as an extended sea promenade. The Residences at W Tel Aviv - Jaffa will be a primary focus throughout the continuation of the area’s improvements.
 
The W Tel Aviv Hotel will feature 125 guest rooms and suites, including one Extreme WOW Suite (W’s interpretation of the Presidential Suite). In addition to panoramic views of the Mediterranean coast, the hotel will offer a signature restaurant, a bar and W Living Room (W’s take on the traditional hotel lobby). Other facilities and amenities include: an Away Spa, a SWEAT fitness centre and a WET pool deck. Guests can also expect the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, providing guests whatever they want, whenever they want it. The hotel will also offer a full-service, 24-hour WIRED business centre. It certainly sounds like our sort of place!
 
In the Kingdom’s capital city of Manama, the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is a soaring architectural statement on its own exclusive island. Convenient for business and breathtaking for Bahrain holidays, this unique-in-the-world urban resort blends innovation and relaxation.   An important economic hub in the Gulf region, the Kingdom of Bahrain offers a modern, open attitude that also makes it a popular vacation destination. The capital city of Manama is a dynamic centre for culture and tourist attractions, providing abundant options for things to do in Bahrain.

Whether you are here for a Bahrain weekend getaway or a longer Bahrain holiday, the concierge team at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay can custom-design your experience, combining historic sites, museums, theatre, golf and Formula One racing. With bold design, luxurious amenities and highly personalised care, the Four Seasons is redefining Bahrain as an international resort destination and the newly opened urban hotel has a resort-style atmosphere, with really rather spectacular facilities from pools, to fitness centres, restaurants, and a host of meeting and function options.

Surrounded by lush gardens and incomparable panoramas, the Grand Hills Hotel & Spa which opens on 15 July, is nestled in a picturesque pedestrian village amid pine-forested hills. The resort is an idyllic getaway from bustling Beirut, particularly during hot summer months. Nestled in Lebanon’s popular mountain village of Broumana, the resort is an alluring sanctuary a cool 750 meters above sea level, and a convenient drive from the coast, ski slopes, and Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Spanning more than 35,000 square meters, the resort offers a picturesque pinewood pedestrian village setting, with exquisite gardens and stunning views of both the mountains and Beirut’s golden coast. The lobby and public spaces proudly reveal an eclectic ensemble of more than 1,200 pieces of art, sculptures, antiques, and handcrafted furniture that convey the compelling vision of the world’s most prolific diamond collector.
A sought-after destination that indulges mind, body, and soul, the world-class evian®SPA affords the perfect blend of peace and vitality. Architecture inspired by the sloping mountainsides houses a multisensory environment and a range of treatments around four basic themes that reflect the journey of evian® water.

The resort houses an unrivalled array of epicurean options to suit any palate, from refined French dining at Chez Alain to the essence of Italy at Pasquale Restaurant. Indulge in shisha, thirst-quenchers, and light mezze, or retreat to an intimate alcove to savour cigars and fine spirits. In short, it looks rather fabulous!

Another hotel which has caught our eye in Beirut  is the new Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort. Situated on the beautiful Lebanese coastline right next to Beirut, the Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort is currently being built over an area of 65,000 square metres, and will become the place to be for both guests and locals. Rafic Hariri International Airport is close by. The hotel will have more than 153 rooms and suites, two restaurants serving international and Lebanese specialities and various bars. Ample leisure activities and relaxation opportunities are available with 5,000 square metres private sandy beach, a marina with 47 berths, a luxurious spa spread over 1,500 square metres, several pools, water ski, sailing and diving. Set to open later this year, we'll be keeping a close eye on this development! 

Scheduled to open in 2016, overlooking the Grand Mosque in the centre of Makkah, the Jabal Omar development (that will include the Conrad Makkah) among 24 other properties, will help to meet the demands for a wider variety of accommodation from the rising number of pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia every year.

Hilton Worldwide will manage 30 percent of the rooms in the development, across six hotels - four Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties, including an all-suites hotel and a convention centre, a DoubleTree by Hilton and the first Conrad hotel in the country.

Also, not quite ready to welcome its first guests yet is the new JW Marriott Manama, Bahrain Hotel, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which is set to open next year. The hotel will have 274 rooms and suites and 102 residences in Bahrain Bay, adjacent to Bahrain Financial Harbour and opposite the diplomatic quarter.

The hotel will have an executive lounge with ocean view; one casual and five speciality restaurants; four lounges, including a lobby lounge and bar, a pool bar, quiet bar and rooftop lounge/bar; and 17,119 square feet of meeting space.  Recreational facilities will include a health and leisure club and spa, indoor and outdoor pool, tennis and squash courts.

So there you have it, a little knowledge to help you go a long, long way! Have a great week!