Paradise regained?
Surely the ultimate claim for any tourist destination is that it is the genuine geographical location of the Garden of Eden. Many places claim to be a paradise, but there are some historians and mythology experts who believe Bahrain may be the paradise.
The hypothesis may sound a little fanciful - particularly to anyone who's actually been to the island - but what can't be disputed is Bahrain's bid to become a utopia for an exclusive, affluent set of holiday-makers and business people with money to burn.
The state of Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands, 22km off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia and 28km from the coast of Qatar. Bahrain itself is the largest of these islands, although still only 600sq km.
Rather than being the Garden of Eden, Bahrain is essentially a flat expanse of rock, its highest point, Jebel Al Dukhan, standing just 122m above sea level. But this rock is providing the foundation for multi-million-dollar developments to provide what the government hopes will be a world-class tourist industry.
Le Royal Méridien is one such development benefiting from the encouraged atmosphere of exclusivity for the island's burgeoning tourist trade (see panel, page 26). Built on reclaimed land just five years ago, it has a year-round average occupancy rate of 66% and is already investing millions of dollars in new facilities.
One of only four Royal Méridiens in the world, the five-star hotel has 232 standard, de luxe and studio rooms and 32 luxury suites of which the Amiri is the suite of choice for visiting royalty.
Adjoining the hotel is the Al Noor Business Conference Hall, which can accommodate up to 1,200 delegates, and the Royal Spa for Ladies, which opens later this year. There will also be a new Trader Vic's restaurant in the new year, adding to the other five restaurants already in the resort.
Perhaps most importantly, it is the only hotel on the island with its own private beach.
The Méridien is aimed particularly at the upmarket corporate traveller, with 64% of its trade coming from business people. Most of the leisure customers are upscale tourists, mostly from Saudi Arabia or from German-speaking European countries.
The hotel is a 10-minute drive outside the capital, Manama, and, being located on the coast, it is slightly isolated from the main hotel district of the city centre. This won't be a problem in the long term, says James Young, director of revenue management. "It's progressing and always evolving. Bahrain needed this type of hotel, especially for the development of the tourism industry, because it's such a key factor in the economy.
"Behind the hotel there is a huge amount of development going on or in the pipeline. There are already two shopping malls and a number of other office developments. A lot of the commercial district of Manama is going to move out here."
That has already started. The new Gulf Exhibition Centre has recently opened minutes from the hotel, and the Middle East headquarters of Citibank is currently being built near by.
Like all the other hotels in Manama, Le Royal Méridien has a large expatriate contingent in its staff, but there is a government policy of visa restriction to encourage the "Bahrainisation" of all business on the island.
"For the entry-level positions, like bellboys or waiters, we make every effort to recruit Bahrainis," Young explains. "At the senior level, we're seeing a lot more Bahrainis coming through into positions, and that's obviously good for the development of the country.
"You're wrong to come here as an ex-pat and say, ‘I'm just here for the money and I'm not here to put anything into your business.' We're here because we have a specialised skill and we're here to train people in that skill."
Training and qualifications are obviously an important part of any growing hospitality industry, and Bahrain is home to one of the Middle East's few tourism schools. The Gulf College of Hospitality and Tourism was government-controlled for more than 20 years until, in 1997, it was privatised and taken over by Manchester College of Arts and Technology.
Since then, the number of students has doubled to about 250, consisting mainly of Bahrainis, but also students from other Gulf countries, India, the Philippines and some from Britain. The college teaches NVQs up to level 4 and various diploma courses up to HND.
College principal Phillip Gibbs came to the college two years ago, his first job in the Middle East after a career in hotel management and training in the UK. So what was his impression of Bahrain when he arrived?
"The beaches and the tourist attractions I thought were quite disappointing compared with other areas in the Gulf - Oman, for instance," he says. "I also thought the standard of service in the hotels, particularly the five-stars, was disappointing and I think that's an area that can certainly be improved upon."
Gibbs says, however, that even in the short time he has been in Bahrain he's seen a big improvement, mainly in the widespread recognition that tourism is an important asset to the island.
"I think what's coming up now is a very positive strategy for development," he says. "That's where I thought they were lacking when I first came here. I also think there will be a lot of rationalisation. In the past they've chucked up hotels very quickly without necessarily thinking ahead about exactly what is needed."
One of the main differences between Bahrain and other Middle Eastern tourist destinations is the country's attitude to alcohol. Although still a conservative environment, there is more freedom to open outlets that serve alcohol beyond the usual hotel bar and nightclub. And, unlike Abu Dhabi, for instance, non-Muslim residents don't need a licence to buy it.
Barnaby Joes is an Americana-themed nightclub in the back streets of Manama. Covering two floors and two bars, it is one of the most successful clubs in Bahrain, particularly outside a hotel. Its general manager, Terry Corless, took over the operation a year ago.
"It had the reputation of being the only nightclub that was both operated and structured like a Western concern which, of course, is of huge interest in this part of the world," he says.
This intrinsic Western-ness of Barnaby Joes is the key to its popularity, and the number of punters pulled in each and every night of the week could make English equivalents green with envy. With a capacity of 800, there are never fewer than 400 customers on any one night, ensuring a weekly turnover of £30,000-£35,000.
Corless has staffed the bar with award-winning English bartenders who have worked all over the world, and he has brought in Western artists such as the Temptations and Edwin Starr to perform.
"It is designed to take the traits of a Western operation, and that's obviously its selling point here," he explains. "But I'm not arrogant or stupid enough to think that if we picked this up and dropped it in the West End of London we would be full seven nights a week.
"What helps a great deal is Bahrain itself - the friendliness of the people, the mixed-race culture and the relaxed approach to life."
There is laid-back approach to life in Bahrain, but its desire to succeed as a tourist base is deadly serious. It is a developing island from a hospitality point of view, but its culture and heritage are a unique selling point. As for whether it really is the Garden of Eden, Young from Le Royal Méridien has one comment to make: "This is the second country I've lived in that's claimed that."
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 18 - 24 November 1999.
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