The Conrad Bahrain, will be located in one of Bahrain’s most luxurious developments, the newly-built Reef Island off Bahrain’s capital city Manama and will feature 250 guest rooms and 50 apartments. — Photo by Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation signs management agreement for Conrad Bahrain with Diyar Al Bahrain. From left; Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Hotels, Middle East & Africa with Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Jasmi, Chairman of Diyar Al Bahrain — Photo by Hilton Hotels Corporation
Logo 'Conrad International Hotels'

Dubai, U.A.E & Beverly Hills, CA | Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) today announced that it has signed a management agreement with Diyar Al Bahrain, to open the first Conrad hotel in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2011.

The Conrad Bahrain, will be located in one of Bahrain's most luxurious developments, the newly-built Reef Island off Bahrain's capital city Manama and will feature 250 guest rooms and 50 apartments.

Ross Klein, Global Head, Hilton Family of Hotels, Luxury & Lifestyle Brands said, "This announcement emphasises our goal to really strengthen our luxury offering on a global scale. The Conrad Bahrain epitomises the Conrad lifestyle with its high-tech offerings, distinct modern design, best-in-class service and customised experiences. The hotel will build on the successes of the Conrad Cairo and will also complement our properties under development; Conrad Dubai and Conrad Abu Dhabi."  Mr Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Jasmi, Chairman of Diyar Al Bahrain said, "We are delighted to have signed this landmark management agreement with Hilton Hotels Corporation for the launch of the first Conrad hotel in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This alliance is the result of extensive due diligence and hospitality industry analysis. The Conrad brand supported by the strong Hilton engine really epitomises luxury, and is in perfect synergy with Diyar Al Bahrain's business strategy of developing value- added alliances in all areas of operations."

Bahrain is the Gulf region's financial hub and offers zero corporate tax policy for businesses and a transparent regulatory system. Located a short distance from Manama's Central Business District and the Bahrain Financial Harbour, the Conrad Bahrain will be a key destination for business travellers.

The hotel will offer easy accessibility to the international airport, to the new sea port and to the causeway to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A new causeway, set to be the longest bridge connection in the world, and scheduled to complete in 2013, will provide an additional link between Bahrain and Qatar.

Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Hotels, Middle East & Africa said, "Bahrain's tourism industry is gaining significant momentum with a 15% increase in visitors last year. High-profile international events such as the Formula One Grand Prix have established Bahrain on the tourism map. The signing of Conrad Bahrain is yet another step forward in achieving a Hilton Family hotel in every major city. We will target the strong corporate market, and GCC leisure and business segment, thanks to the hotel's close proximity to downtown Manama, the financial district as well as its accessibility to Saudi Arabia."

The Conrad will also offer its business guests unparalleled meeting facilities, including a business centre incorporating the latest technology, six sizeable meeting rooms, two banquet rooms and an impressive ballroom. To wind down, guests will be able to enjoy the hotel's shopping arcade or utilise the fitness facilities, including a tennis court, squash court, swimming pool and health club. Reef Island's features will also include, among other attractions, open parks, an Aquarium, a luxury shopping mall, a marina and a Yacht club.

The Conrad Bahrain will boast impressive dining facilities, including a stylish all-day dining outlet, and three speciality restaurants featuring international cuisine. The hotel will also offer two bars, a coffee shop and a shisha cafe for a unique flavour of the region.

"We have also established Diyafa Holding, a Bahrain-based closed shareholding company catering to the Kingdom's increasing demand for tourism and hospitality facilities. We are therefore focused on growing this alliance with Hilton Hotels Corporation," continued Mr Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Jasmi.

Atieh Hamarneh, CEO of Diyafa said, "Diyafa's objective is to be a leading developer of hospitality facilities including hotels, resorts, spas and real estate residential communities in the region with a global footprint. We have a strong commitment to the communities in which we operate in, and we will be guided by an unwavering pursuit of excellence to build great properties for our clientele."

Today's news reflects Conrad Hotels & Resorts fast moving expansion in the Middle East and globally, with the Conrad Dubai and the Conrad Abu Dhabi set to open in Q4 2010 and Q2 2011 respectively, alongside plans to introduce new Conrad hotels in Shanghai, the Bahamas, Thailand, Beijing and Portugal.

Hilton Hotels has a signed development pipeline of an additional 16 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde. Furthermore, the company has recently announced a strategic development agreement to develop 13 Hilton Garden Inn properties across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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bout Conrad ® Hotels & Resorts | Conrad Hotels & Resorts is a modern luxury brand from theHilton Family of Hotels, with a strong network of high-tech, high-touch hotels in key destinations globally, from the Americas and Asia Pacific to Europe, the Middle Eastand Africa. Conrad Hotels & Resorts will continue to grow globally with many new hotels currently in development and conversion worldwide. The Conrad brand provides discerning world travellers the perfect solution for their travel needs with global connectivity, highly personalized service and cultural sensitivity. Conrad Hotels & Resorts is a member of Hilton's Luxury and Lifestyle Brands along with Waldorf Astoria and The Waldorf Astoria Collection.For more information on Conrad Hotels & Resorts,please visit ConradHotels.com.

About Hilton Hotels Corporation | Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in more than 74 countries and territories, including 135,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hiltonâ, Conradâ Hotels & Resorts, Doubletreeâ, Embassy Suites Hotelsâ, Hampton Innâ, Hampton Inn & Suitesâ, Hilton Garden Innâ, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hiltonâ and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton's philosophy that, "It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality." The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all nine brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

The company currently operates 43 hotels in the Middle East & Africa – 17 hotels in Egypt, nine hotels in the UAE, five in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another ten hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton Hotels has a signed development pipeline of an additional 16 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde. Furthermore, the company has announced a strategic development agreement to develop 13 Hilton Garden Inn properties (2,500 rooms) across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Oshy Phillips
Brand PR/Communications Manager
+44 20 7856 8261
Hilton