STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed an agreement with Majid Al Futtaim Properties to launch its Westin and Le Méridien brands in Bahrain. Scheduled to debut in early July this year, The Westin Bahrain City Centre and Le Méridien Bahrain City Centre will be located in the heart of Manama and are in close proximity to popular tourist and commercial areas such the Manama Souq, King Faisal Corniche and Diplomatic Area. Combined, the two hotels will add 460 rooms to Starwood's portfolio in Bahrain. Both hotels are directly linked to Bahrain City Centre, which is the country's premier shopping and entertainment destination and is owned by Majid Al Futtaim Properties. Bahrain City Centre is home to 350 international branded retail outlets, 50 dining outlets, a temperature-controlled water park - Wahoo, VOX Cinemas and a bowling center. “Following last year's successful conversion and opening of Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates, we are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Majid Al Futtaim Properties as we debut our Westin and Le Méridien brands in Bahrain,” said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “We have a long presence in the country, dating back to 1981 when we opened the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel. We look forward to expanding our footprint here with the launch of these two distinct lifestyle brands later this year.” George Kostas, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “We are very pleased with today's announcement and welcome the addition of these two new brands to our portfolio. We believe they will add significant value to our offering in Bahrain and will further strengthen the position of our 11 hotels across the region.” – SG
