Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain will give visitors access to a pristine private shoreline. Photo: Vida Hotels and Resorts
Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain will give visitors access to a pristine private shoreline. Photo: Vida Hotels and Resorts
Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain will give visitors access to a pristine private shoreline. Photo: Vida Hotels and Resorts
Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain will give visitors access to a pristine private shoreline. Photo: Vida Hotels and Resorts

Dubai's Emaar to open first Vida hotel outside the UAE in Bahrain in December


Hayley Skirka
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Travellers heading to Bahrain will soon be able to stay in the kingdom's newest hotel. Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain is gearing up to welcome visitors by the end of the year.

The family-friendly property will be Emaar’s first hotel in the kingdom, and the first Vida resort to open outside the UAE.

Located on the Marassi beachfront, the new hotel will give visitors access to a pristine private shoreline and connect directly to the soon-to-open Marassi Galleria shopping mall in Bahrain, making it ideal for those who enjoy some retail therapy.

Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al Bahrain will be the first Vida resort to open outside the UAE. Photo: Vida Hotels and Resorts
Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al Bahrain will be the first Vida resort to open outside the UAE. Photo: Vida Hotels and Resorts

With 157 hotel rooms and 141 serviced residences, Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain plans to welcome both short-term staycationers and long-term visitors.

All of the hotel rooms offer ocean views or vistas over the island of Diyar al Muharraq. Contemporary interiors let in plenty of natural light and reflect the resort’s waterside setting.

Guests can enjoy dining in Origins, a laid-back restaurant that can also be found at Dubai’s Vida Emirates Hills and Vida Beach Resort Umm Al Quwain.

A temperature-controlled rooftop infinity pool offers amazing views of the surrounding Arabian Gulf and the sea-facing pool bar will be the ideal place for sundowners.

The hotel also has a fully-equipped gym overlooking the water and youngsters have their own pool and a supervised kids' club. Unlike some of Vida's other properties in the UAE, the hotel will not be pet-friendly.

“We are delighted to bring Vida Marassi Al-Bahrain to one of the most influential markets in both travel and business,” said Mark Kirby, head of hospitality at Emaar Hospitality Group. "The serene beach resort property will soon be one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in Bahrain while serving as a testament to our warm hospitality."

Marassi Galleria is a beachfront mega-mall that's set to open in Manama in 2022. It will be home to the 8,199-square-metre Marassi Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, and the first Reel Cinemas venue, in Bahrain. The masterplanned Marassi Al Bahrain development will have high-end residential, retail and hospitality components when complete, with a new Address Hotel also set to join the Vida property on the Marassi beachfront.

More new hotels set to open in Bahrain

Mantis Bahrain Hawar Island will have overwater villas, a wildlife sanctuary and an adventure park. Photo: Accor
Mantis Bahrain Hawar Island will have overwater villas, a wildlife sanctuary and an adventure park. Photo: Accor

Vida Beach Resort Marassi Al-Bahrain isn't the only hotel set to make its debut in the kingdom.

Minor Hotels recently announced it would open its first properties in Bahrain, with the launch of Avani Bilaj Al Jazayer Bahrain Resort and Tivoli Bilaj Al Jazayer Bahrain Resort. The properties will welcome guests in 2024.

There's also been a lot of buzz about the highly-anticipated Mantis Bahrain Hawar Island. Planned to open off the coast of Bahrain in 2024, the luxury eco-resort will have overwater villas, a wildlife sanctuary and an on-site adventure park and be reachable only by boat or private helicopter.

Next year, the Shangri-La Hotel, Bahrain, a five-star, 250-room hotel will also open to guests at its waterside location at the Bahrain Marina.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes

Cheat’s nigiri 
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.

Deconstructed sushi salad platter 
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.

Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):

1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop

2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia -  £25m: Flop

3). Erik Lamela - Roma -  £25m: Jury still out

4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen -  £25m: Success

5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic -  £21m: Flop

6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar -  £18m: Flop

7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers -  £18m: Flop

8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb -  £17m: Success

9). Paulinho - Corinthians -  £16m: Flop

10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham -  £16m: Success

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

Updated: October 27, 2021, 8:06 AM