Boutique Luxury In Bahrain
Bahrain’s newest 5-star property, The Merchant House, is situated in the heart of Manama and offers a beautiful setting for both business and leisure travelers.
Bahrain’s newest 5-star property, The Merchant House, is situated in the heart of Manama and offers a beautiful setting for both business and leisure travelers.
Acollection of almost 30 islands in the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain is one of the Middle East’s smallest hidden gems, bursting with color and thriving with beautiful attractions for tourists. On arriving in Bahrain, we were welcomed at the airport by cheerful staff from the country’s newest 5-star hotel, The Merchant House. They took very good care of us on our journey to the hotel.
The Merchant House, which is part of the upscale Campbell Gray Hotels, is an all-suite property featuring 46 suites. It is situated in the heart of Manama’s old town and is the first award winning boutique hotel to be given a 5-star rating. The area surrounding the hotel is currently part of a regeneration project to re-establish the stature of the Bab el-Bahrain Souk and the original heart of the capital city.
As you enter the premises, you find a picturesque and attractive lobby area adorned with paintings from local Bahraini and international artists, showcasing stencil graffiti on paper, acrylics on canvas and photographs
from the Bahrain house of photography. One particular canvas features an astronaut by Virut Panchabuse, who is known for his expressive pop-art portraits using a collage technique, made entirely from paper. The ground floor houses an all-day cozy café next to the lobby, which features an original concrete wall. The first floor is home to a specially-curated library, stocked with 1,000 books and offering a heavenly space for avid readers.
The hotel’s Pure Grey Spa consists of two treatment rooms for face and body therapies using natural oils and organic products. The products are eco-friendly, and the spa is careful to respect the environment, sourcing products from ethical and sustainable sources. The spa is dedicated to using only non-toxic products to support beauty and wellbeing holistically.
The Merchant House has taken a keen interest in embracing local industries and the spa features a niche Bahraini company, Green Bar by Reem Al Khalifa, which was founded in 2006. Al Khalifa turned her passion for plants into a successful luxury brand boasting 100% natural botanical oils for the face and the body. The ambience in the spa will make you unwind, release stress and forget your current surroundings, leaving you absolutely relaxed. Spa sessions leave your skin feeling totally nourished and glowing with a lovely radiance.
One of the most exciting parts of our tour was to tingle our taste buds. The hotel has a stunning roof top restaurant called Indigo, headed by Executive Chef, Robert Shipman. He brings with him a wealth of experience from the Southern European culinary scene. The service and the food are truly exceptional as per the standards you’d expect from a 5-star property. There is an array of options to choose from, with a particular flair of Mediterranean and Asian dishes including sushi, seared scallops, local hammour, seabass sashimi and lobster & scallop saganaki. Indigo releases new menus from time to time keeping in mind the ongoing season. We were left with an unforgettable culinary experience thanks to Chef Robert and his fabulous team.
Our experience at the Merchant House was everything you’d expect from an absolutely luxurious trip, where we enjoyed all the facilities that the hotel had to offer. The hospitality from staff is wonderful, supported by their willingness to always assist and offer a personal heartwarming experience to guests. The final icing to our stay was the ride back to the airport. We were driven in a Maserati and sped through the streets of Bahrain in style. The Merchant House has etched memories that will linger for a very long time.