Hawar Resort by Mantis is entering its next phase of growth with a strategic culinary relaunch and an aggressive international sales push, General Manager Dennis de Groot revealed in an interview with TTN’s Kim Thomson.
On the food and beverage front, the eco-luxury island property is repositioning its signature dining venue. Moving away from its previous Peruvian concept, the outlet is being relaunched as C-Salt, a dedicated Mediterranean-Italian restaurant. The transition is anchored by the appointment of an Italian Director of Culinary, with menu tastings finalised and contracts ready for rollout.
Reflecting on recent operational trading, de Groot noted robust regional demand driven by pent-up leisure travel across the GCC. The resort logged strong occupancy across the summer and Eid travel periods, with steady inflows from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the domestic Bahraini market sustaining weekend performance as the new academic term began.
To build on this regional momentum, de Groot is now turning his attention toward overseas feeder markets to drive inbound volume.
"We’d love to have more international travellers coming," de Groot told TTN. "For this, I will be heading to World Travel Market (WTM) in London, and travelling across Europe -including Russia, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia. Some people ask why travel now, but you have to put a face to the resort. As a GM, being on the ground gives partners confidence to know that we mean business."
In addition to European leisure travellers, the property is actively eyeing the lucrative destination wedding segment, with India identified as a key target market. With its secluded island setting, distinctive eco-luxury credentials, and enhanced culinary portfolio, Hawar Resort by Mantis aims to establish itself as a versatile, year-round destination for global explorers and bespoke celebrations alike.