Sheraton Bahrain, one of the kingdom’s oldest five-star hotels, is looking to renovate the property to ensure its continued excellence in a competitive market.
“Sheraton Bahrain reflects the country’s rich heritage and tradition in its fusion of friendly hospitality and plans for renovation are currently under way,” says Thomas Flindt, the hotel’s new general manager.
“The Sheraton is a much older lady, when compared to the newer hotels in the market, and is in need of some help. There are infrastructure challenges as it is a 33-year-old hotel. Renovation will take place over the next couple of years but whether we are going to do it as a whole where we close down completely or in phases is still yet to be seen.”
“We are constantly looking at various segments of the business. Currently, the market is a bit saturated with hotels in the city running on approximately 50 per cent occupancy, so the fight for the business is pretty tough,” he says.
Bahrain has a good opportunity to draw more tourists by focussing more on its status as an island nation and promoting its beaches and coastlines, the new general manager of Sheraton Bahrain says.
“We have 365 days of sunshine and a lot of coastline and beach resorts. The focus needs to be more on endorsing Bahrain as an island. This is where the opportunity is to bring more people into the country,” Flindt says.
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Thomas Flindt |
A Starwood Group veteran, Flindt joined the Sheraton Bahrain team in February, having moved from Beirut, Lebanon, where he was the general manager at Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun for more than six years.
Flindt brings with him more than 30 years of experience in various senior positions across Scandinavia, Thailand, China, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan and Beirut.
A Danish national, Flindt got his culinary degree from Copenhagen Hotel & Restaurant School. He started his hospitality career back in 1979 as a chef apprentice in North of Copenhagen and became a Sous Chef at the Plaza Boutique Hotel. He then joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1982 and has been with the group since.
Offering 256 well-appointed guest rooms and suites with the signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Beds, free wi-fi and comfortable work spaces, guests at the Sheraton Bahrain can enjoy an ideal place for business or leisure.
The hotel also offers nine meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 600 guests for meetings, receptions, cocktails, personal milestones and weddings.
On the culinary side, Sheraton Bahrain offers three food and beverage outlets including Golestan, an authentic Iranian fine-dining restaurant; Soie, where guests can savour the authentic flavours of China; and Al Safir Restaurant, which is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant.
Sheraton Bahrain is just 7 km from Bahrain International Airport and offers easy access to major shopping malls, Bahrain World Trade Centre and Bahrain Financial Harbour.
By Nikita Philip