Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Majid Al Futtaim mark opening of Westin and Le Méridien Hotels in Bahrain

Manama, BAHRAIN: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and Majid Al Futtaim, leader in shopping malls, retail and entertainment for the Middle East and North Africa, today celebrated the opening of The Westin Bahrain City Centre and Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre.Located in the heart of Manama, the two hotels mark Starwood’s launch of Westin and Le Meridien brands in the country, adding 460 rooms to the group’s portfolio in Bahrain.

“We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Majid Al Futtaim as we debut our Westin and Le Méridien brands in Bahrain,” said Guido de Wilde, Senior Vice President, Regional Director, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Middle East. “We look forward to introducing Westin’s winning approach to well-being and Le Méridien’s contemporary lifestyle approach through the arts, culture and cuisine to the local community and international travellers to Manama.”

George Kostas, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “Majid Al Futtam Properties is committed to actively supporting the long term development of Bahrain.  We are very pleased to once again partner with Starwood which is recognized as a leader in tourism and business travel, both important sectors for Bahrain. We have had excellent success with our two hotels in Bahrain thus far, and we anticipate even better times ahead with the arrival of these two brands that will no doubt bolster the Kingdom’s hospitality sector.

The Westin Bahrain City Centre and Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre are in close proximity to popular tourist and commercial areas such the Manama Souq, King Faisal Corniche and Diplomatic Area. The two hotels are directly linked to City Centre Bahrain, the country’s premier shopping and entertainment destination, which is home to 350 international branded retail outlets, 50 dining outlets, a temperature-controlled water park – Wahooo, a cineplex and a bowling centre.

The Westin Bahrain City Centre

The Westin Bahrain City Centre features 200 spacious guest rooms and suites, including its signature one-bedroom Royal Suite. For a truly revitalising experience, each room includes the signature Westin Heavenly Bed®, featuring lush sheets, down cushioning and a patented pillow-top mattress, a Heavenly Bath® with an invigorating Heavenly® Shower, and White Tea by Westin™ bath amenities. Guests staying on the Executive Club Floors will have exclusive access to the Westin Club along with complimentary breakfast, evening snacks and beverages.

The hotel features a diverse variety of food and beverage outlets, including an upscale Parisian-style venue, Boudoir; the all-day dining Saveur with open-concept cooking stations; Nasmat Restaurant & Lounge offering Mediterranean delicacies by the pool; Mezzanine Lounge, a comfortable dining setting with private pods for intimate gatherings; and a boutique café, T-Spoon, serving the finest selection of tea and coffee from across the globe with an array of savories and handcrafted bakes. The hotel also features the brand’s SuperfoodsRX™ menu designed to treat guests to exceptional food combinations rich in nutrients, antioxidants and flavour.

Guests can experience total relaxation at The Heavenly Spa by Westin™, which offers an array of treatments dedicated to well-being and features the largest Turkish hammam in the country. To help travellers energise or de-stress, WestinWORKOUT® combines state-of-the-art fitness equipment with high performance workouts and a swimming pool. The hotel will also launch the RunWESTIN service later this year, offering a self-guided jog or refreshing walk with custom running maps, for guests looking to stay active while on the road. Children can have fun at The Westin Kids Club with arts and crafts projects, board games and other engaging activities.

The Westin Bahrain City Centre also provides the perfect setting for social gatherings, corporate events and weddings with 6,500 square feet of ultra-modern event space.

Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre

Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre offers 260 contemporary guest rooms and suites, all outfitted with the signature Le Méridien Bed. The presidential suite, Pearl Suite, offers a spacious master bedroom, separate living room with a dining area and a fully equipped kitchenette.

The hotel serves authentic Arabic cuisine at Baharat where diners can enjoy the open-air terrace and live entertainment. The trendy Bizarre Lounge presents an element of discovery as it transforms from a lounge in the day to a vibrant night-time venue. For those who prefer a more exclusive setting, Le Méridien Club Lounge offers hearty breakfasts, evening hors d’oeuvres and a selection of beverages.

By year end the hotel will launch the brand’s signature Le Méridien Hub™, which re-interprets the traditional lobby into a social gathering place for creative people to converse, debate and exchange in a creative atmosphere and will also feature curated local artwork from Bahrain. As part of the Hub, Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre will introduce the Middle East’s first Longitude 50º cafe, where guests can enjoy expertly crafted Illy coffee, paired with delicious éclairs.

Le Meridien Bahrain City Centre features over 5,000 square feet 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 leisure facilities at both hotels.

The Westin Bahrain City Centre and Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre also offer the award-winning loyalty programme, Starwood Preferred Guest, which gives guests a chance to earn Starpoints to avail more choices, flexibility and benefits including exclusive redemption options, free nights and upgrades at Starwood hotels.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. 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. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands.

About Majid Al Futtaim:

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure, and to create great moments for everyone, every day. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 12 international markets, employing over 26,000 people, and achieving the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the Middle East.

Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 17 shopping malls, 11 hotels and three mixed-use communities in MENA, with further developments underway in the region. This includes Mall of the Emirates, City Centre malls, and also 4 community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. It holds exclusive rights to the Carrefour franchise in 19 markets across MENA and Central Asia, operating a portfolio of over 50 hypermarkets and over 50 supermarkets in 12 countries.

Majid Al Futtaim operates 92 VOX Cinemas screens and 17 Magic Planets across the region in addition to iconic leisure and entertainment facilities such as Ski Dubai and iFly Dubai among others. Majid Al Futtaim is parent to the consumer finance company issuing ‘Najm’ credit cards, a fashion retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Juicy Couture and Halston Heritage and a healthcare business. In addition, it also has a joint venture operation with Dalkia and has recently expanded into food & beverage in partnership with Gourmet Gulf.