Family travel expert Maryanne Peacock checks into what could just be the most perfect short-break family destination in the GCC
Four Seasons Bahrain Bay review: 9/10
Why book Four Seasons Bahrain Bay
Not every holiday needs to be far-flung – in fact, when travelling with kids, it is sometimes easier (and far less stressful) to stay close to home. So after the craziness of Christmas, we took ourselves off for a long weekend vacation to the Four Seasons Bahrain Bay. An escape whilst being in the heart of the city, the hotel oozes luxury from the moment you cross the bridge onto the private island, that was built exclusively for the resort. Complete with 273 guest rooms and suites, white sandy beach, a water park, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and spa, seven restaurants and five swimming pools, the eye-catching H-shaped building, designed by the same architects that created the Burj Khalifa, offers an exceptional getaway for families, couples, and solo travellers, whilst also catering for business travellers or those just looking for a decadent staycation away from their home in Bahrain.
Location: 9/10
A building that has become an icon of Manama’s skyline, with sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf and the rapidly growing Bahrain Bay area, the hotel sits to the north of Bahrain – a quick 15-minute drive from Bahrain’s international airport. Set on its own purpose-built island in North Manama, the country’s capital, the hotel is opposite The Avenues – the first commercial and entertainment mall of its kind in the Kingdom offering an extensive array of shopping and leisure experiences. A regular water taxi service will take you from the hotel to the mall in just three minutes.
Rooms & Suites: 9/10
There are 273 rooms, including 57 suites, all situated between floors 11 and 28. At 47 square metres, standard rooms are spacious, and if you are travelling with children, most standard rooms are interconnecting. Interiors are lavish and include thick carpets, Murano glass chandeliers and lacquered panelling mixed with a soft palette of beige, green and gold that mimics the colours of the greenery on the island of Bahrain. Bathrooms offer a perfect blend of marble and mirrors with spacious bathtubs and walk-in rain showers. Each of the spacious suites includes sweeping views of the Arabian Gulf or the rapidly growing Bahrain Bay area and offers a separate living room, complete with a flat-screen TV and speaker system.
Food & Drink: 9/10
The dining scene at Four Seasons Bahrain Bay is nothing short of spectacular, with two restaurants from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. In Cut by Wolfgang Puck you’ll be treated to an array of beef sourced from Japan, Australia and the U.S. whilst Re Asian Cuisine by Wolfgang Puck towers over Manama on the 50th floor, offering beautiful views alongside Far East favours. Next door on the 50th floor sits Blue Moon Lounge, the perfect spot for an aperitif and directly below on the beach area you’ll find Byblos, a beachfront restaurant serving up sensational Lebanese cuisine, a recent addition. Bahrain Bay Kitchen is where all the action takes place – from breakfast to brunch; the all-day dining restaurant has you covered. Bahrain Bay takes brunch to a whole different level, and the Four Seasons has a slate of options, including an indulgent international buffet on Fridays and an Arabic favourites brunch on Saturdays. The Friday brunch changes its theme every month and offers an array of fresh seafood, cheeses, meats and flavours. The dessert station is definitely worth saving room for…
Spa & Facilities: 10/10
The spa and fitness facilities are some of the most impressive I’ve seen throughout my years of hotel hopping – in fact, the spa at Four Seasons Bahrain Bay is the second largest within the whole group’s portfolio. With separate male and female facilities, the individual fitness centres are fully kitted out with state-of-the-art equipment and steam, sauna and cold shower facilities. Both centres offer a full schedule of spinning, aerobics and yoga classes. Meanwhile, the spa offers an array of sensational treatments as well as a heated 25-metre indoor pool.
Four Seasons Bahrain Bay’s excellent hospitality also extends to its youngest guests, with pint-sized bathrobes, pop-up tents in the bedrooms, personalised teddy bears and every baby item you could ever imagine. They also have an incredible kids’ club with a huge outdoor play area, which runs alongside a jam-packed daily activity schedule and a small water park shaped like a Dhow ship with slides and interactive water features. For older kids, there is The Beach Club – a space inspired by a California surf shack. A gamers’ haven, here you’ll find everything from old-school arcade games, pinball and pool to Italian ice cream, board games and more.
Alongside the family pool, there’s a wonderful, quieter adult-only pool area to laze around. Four Seasons staff are on hand to offer everything from fresh fruit skewers and refreshing beverages to an array of high-end sun care products and a chair-side sunglasses cleaning and repair service.
The Verdict 9/10
A faultless city break stay, the Four Seasons Bahrain Bay has five-star service, an excellent food offering and an incredible spa. If that wasn’t enough, the rooms are comfortable, and the kids are constantly entertained, meaning as parents, you get a chance to switch off, knowing the kids are taken care of.
Bahrain Bay, Manama, Bahrain; doubles from BHD138 a night (about AED1,340); fourseasons.com, @fsbahrain
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