Bahrain’s oldest hotel to be restored with private sector

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain Hotel, the kingdom’s oldest hotel, is being prepared for restoration and operation with the private sector, the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities has said, as MPs urge that the old Manama landmark be saved from decay and brought back into public life.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Director-General of Heritage at the authority, told The Daily Tribune that the building is listed by the authority as a historic site, both as Bahrain’s first hotel and as a property of particular architectural and historical value to Manama.

‘Bahrain Hotel is registered on the authority’s list of historic buildings,’ he said. ‘It is the first hotel in Bahrain and has particular architectural and historical value for Manama.

‘The authority acquired the property several years ago in order to preserve it and prepare it for development. Work is now taking place with the relevant government bodies to draw up plans for its restoration and future operation, in partnership with the private sector.’

The hotel was built by Abdul-Noor AlBastaki and remained in his family’s ownership until it was acquired by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.

The authority announced in 2022 that it wanted to bring in an investor to restore and operate Bahrain Hotel, with bids to be judged on the strength of their vision and technical detail. The award was to go to the highest bidder meeting the terms.

Under that plan, the investor would work with the authority to appoint an engineering office and an interior design firm to prepare restoration plans, before bringing in a contractor to carry out the works. A local or international hotel company would then be chosen to run the property throughout the operating term.

Shaikh Mohammed said the building should not be treated as a project in isolation, because its future depended on work in the streets and properties around it.

‘The building was not neglected,’ he said. ‘It was first acquired and secured to preserve it. The success of the project also requires that it should go hand in hand with wider development of the area.

‘We are looking forward to announcing, soon, a fuller plan for the area, based on several projects designed to work together and create a connected urban, tourism and cultural district in the heart of Manama.’

The building’s structure had been assessed after it was acquired, he said, and stabilisation work and other steps needed to keep it safe had been carried out. He declined to give the findings of the assessment for now, saying they were tied to the next plans and the expected partnership with the private sector.

Second Deputy Speaker Ahmed Qarata said the area around the hotel had fallen into poor condition and warned that the old building needed care before it became a danger to the public.

‘The area has become filled with dirt and rodents and is suffering from poor sanitation,’ he told The Daily Tribune. ‘The building was acquired by the authority, but the project stalled. For a period it became labour accommodation. It is an old building in need of restoration, especially as its collapse would pose a danger to passers-by.

‘It has great heritage value, and its façade has a classical character. I have proposed that it be offered to the private sector and turned into a heritage building, along the lines of Souq Al Qaisariya in Muharraq.’

A separate case for the building’s heritage value was made by MP Dr Muneer Seroor, who said Bahrain Hotel should be seen as part of Manama’s memory rather than merely an old property awaiting repair.

‘This landmark, which once overlooked the sea in a busy, well-placed part of the city, was not merely a hotel,’ Dr Seroor told TDT. ‘It was a place bound up with the memories of generations, and it spoke of old Manama’s architecture, social life and heritage.

‘Many people from the Gulf still remember the place. It also has a place in the memory of foreign visitors who knew Bahrain as an early commercial and cultural centre in the region.’

Dr Seroor said the building’s worth lay not only in its age, but in what it could add to the old capital if restored and run well.

‘Restoring Bahrain Hotel should not be understood as a construction project only,’ he said. ‘It is a project to revive Manama’s memory and strengthen cultural and heritage tourism.

‘It can be developed as a modern heritage hotel that preserves its original character, while adding modern facilities that draw visitors, tourists and those interested in the history of the Gulf and the region.’

Shaikh Mohammed said all options remained open, including a heritage hotel or a cultural centre, with the final use to be decided through operating plans drawn up with private-sector partners.

‘The authority’s aim is for the building to return as a living, working place once again,’ he said. ‘The final purpose will be decided according to the operating plans that will be prepared with private sector partners.’