A desert oasis that invites travellers and guests to unwind and relax, Ramada Bahrain has been standing tall and proud for the past 39 years. A landmark on the island, the hotel is known to offer the best of services, which includes a range of free services to its guests, ensuring they have a wholesome experience. Located in Adliya, it has managed to create a strong grounding for itself and continues to impress and attract visitors, as it remains up to speed, on the requirements and expectations of the guests. This is credited to its very hands on and committed team, being led by the General Manager of the hotel, Matthias Hellweg.
Mr.Hellweg who joined Ramada Bahrain in October 2014 isn’t new to the Middle Eastern culture, as he had already worked in Jeddah, Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh and Amman in the past but moving to the Land of Pearls has definitely been a riveting experience for him. Weekender learned more as we had a tête-à-tête with the Ramada GM at his office.
W.With what vision did you join the hotel and how has it grown since then?
Matthias: Ramada Bahrain, being one of the first international branded hotels on the island, is traditionally the first choice for international business travellers. We want to bring it to the leading position within the four-star hotel segment. Last year we have completed a lot of projects to make the hotel more attractive, from the new lobby and public areas to upgrading the guest rooms. This Ramadan, the bathrooms will undergo a partial renovation; we want our guests to experience the fresh feel and this journey won’t be stopping anytime soon.
W. What was your first impressionof Bahrain when you arrived here?
Matthias: I found everything to be easy: from traffic to people to culture, also I found a lot of companies are easy to do business with over here.
W.What did you like the most and how do you see the hospitality industry’s stance here?
Matthias: I am actually quite fond of Bahrainis. They are well educated and well-travelled people and genuinely interested and curious. Over and above, Bahrain as a destination has a long tradition of hospitality. The actual government projects will further enhance the attractiveness of this island as a family destination.
W. What has been the most enriching experience about working in Ramada along with your team?
Matthias: We get a lot of positive feedback from guests regarding our employees and their services. And this is what makes the difference, having an experienced and genuine friendly team in place. Guests can leave everything to us, we know how to make them feel relaxed and at home here at Ramada Bahrain.
W. With the economic downturn, do you think hotel businesses will be affected as well and how well is Ramada prepared when it comes to facing unpredictable downfalls and uncertainties?
Matthias: Ramada Bahrain enjoys a strong and loyal customerbase; we are physically located in an ideal position and have a strong reputation as the optimum quality hotel, so we are not afraid of the future. Over and above our feeder markets are diversified, so we don’t depend on one nationality only.
W. How is your hotel able to retain guests and how do you manage to remain one of the first choices for them to stay at?
Matthias: Quality always backs us in the long run; our pricing strategy has always been fair, so guests get good value for money and enjoy excellent service and fantastic food.
W.Would you call it more of a corporate or a leisure hotel?
Matthias:We are a corporate hotel for the international business traveller, a quiet place to relax after a long journey or after a long business day.
W. After a hectic week at work, how do you like to unwind and relax on weekends?
Matthias:After the one hour in the gym I feel I have done finally something for myself and the weekend is either brunch with friends or beach time.
