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The Middle East is filled with luxurious hideaways, however none are fairly like The Merchant House. Bursting with color from a whole bunch of one-of-a-kind artwork items adorning the partitions, this five-star boutique property – in a former Forties-era administrative constructing – is extra gallery than lodge.
It’s positioned within the outdated coronary heart of Bahrain, the smallest nation within the Gulf, the place a automobile journey from the highest of the island to the underside takes simply over an hour — and the airport is just a 15-minute taxi experience away from town centre.
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The nation’s capital Manama is one among contrasts. Trendy rooftop bars serving up cocktails and energetic party vibes sit alongside buzzing conventional markets and avenue meals spots which have been doling out native favourites like machboos (spiced hen with rice) and harees (a wheat grain porridge) for many years.
The Merchant House is a relative oasis amidst that hustle and bustle. Step by the entrance doorways and the world exterior melts away. The market sellers, plying their wares on the close by Bab Al Bahrain souk, and the fixed hum of visitors exterior on Government Avenue, are nowhere to be heard — it’s simply you, your ideas and all that gorgeous artwork.
Middle East Traveller checked in to a Signature Suite at The Merchant House for a keep in Bahrain’s trendiest artwork lodge.
The Hotel
Since its grand debut in 2020, The Merchant House has shortly develop into a trend-setting hotspot for travellers in search of a classy in a single day keep and locals in search of laid-back vibes. The gorgeous rooftop backyard lounge, cocooned by lush greenery and stuffed with floral print material furnishings, has develop into a buzzing social hub, pulling in crowds from all corners of the island.
The main draw right here is the design. The huge show of artwork on the partitions is the results of a partnership with an nameless Bahraini collector, and sees works by legends like Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst displayed alongside these by native artists resembling Dawiya Al Alawiyat, who paints items fusing conventional and up to date parts.
The lodge’s location a block and a half away from the Bab al Bahrain souk means energetic native life is just some steps away. But if you happen to’re within the temper for some indoor indulgence, retreat to the foyer or your suite and absorb these beautiful interiors.
The Arrival
The Merchant House stands discreetly on Government Avenue, a busy thoroughfare residence to banks, official buildings and packed-in retailers that runs by the centre of the capital. The lodge’s muted, sandy exterior is in sharp distinction to the daring, brilliant interiors inside — seven blue awnings hanging over the pavement are the one clue you’re about to drag up exterior the foyer.
Staff are fast off the mark to gather baggage and maintain open the entrance door, the place the lodge’s punchy character unfolds in all its splendour. The round, ethereal house is punctuated by hints of commercial concrete and a dramatic graffitied function pillar on the centre, connecting the concentric marble flooring to a double-height ceiling.
There’s art work all over the place you look, from the full-width blue-and-white patterned wall behind the reception desk to giant modernist canvases hanging above outsized white linen sofas and hypnotic spiral tables.
The Room
With a delicate palette of wealthy reds, vibrant oranges and deep blues set in opposition to soothing impartial tones, rooms are designed to permit the colorful assertion artwork items dotted on the partitions to take centre stage. It’s the right backdrop for an opulent, laid-back keep.
Our Signature Suite is flooded with pure mild from home windows across the room, together with a shaded round portal that appears out over the close by rooftops. All rooms include beneficiant sitting and eating areas, served from a kitchenette that’s outfitted with its personal bean-to-cup coffee machine, tea-making amenities, minibar, freezer and ice dispenser.
When it’s time to prove the lights, neglect fumbling round for switches and air con dials. Everything you have to management the room is contained in a single unit subsequent to the super-king mattress.
The Service
Service is swift {and professional} all through the lodge. Guests are inspired to have interaction with employees by the absence of knowledge tags beneath the artwork — if you wish to know one thing a couple of explicit piece, simply ask. It’s a novel approach of offering a lot richer tales that immediately join guests with the cultural and historic context of every work.
At one level, we sneak in a supply app order. As we anticipate the elevator to satisfy the rider on the entrance, a lodge worker intercepts us, bag already in hand. It’s a welcome shock in an period the place most properties drive company to traipse lengthy distances to gather exterior meals.
The Restaurants and Bars
The flower-filled indoor eating room at Indigo Terrace, which spills onto an eclectic out of doors planted backyard shaded by sail-shaped canopies, is persistently wonderful. Turning out basic Mediterranean plates infused with Asian flavours for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant focuses on bringing contemporary, seasonal native produce into its recipes. The sea bass crusted with crunchy sesame seeds, for instance, is fished from Bahraini waters, whereas the saffron sauce drizzled over do-it-yourself ricotta and spinach ravioli is one other nod to native palates.
Breakfast is a extra conventional affair. Alongside the same old choice of egg dishes (Benedict with Turkey ham, Florentine with spinach, Royale with smoked salmon), there are well-priced regional favourites like shakshouka and tahina ful medames, plus cheesecake slices and stacks of candy pancakes drizzled with date syrup.
The Activities
The emerald-coloured rooftop pool, open from dawn to sundown, is the right measurement for a dip, particularly after a exercise on the adjoining indoor gymnasium, whereas a scattering of loungers supply the best spot for a couple of hours of rest within the sunshine. Although the pool might seem small at first look, there’s simply sufficient house for paddling, and it’s additionally utterly freed from chlorine — which means a swimming expertise that’s simple on the pores and skin.
On the primary ground, a comfy balcony library tucked above the foyer holds greater than 1,000 books curated by The Ultimate Library of Oxford, with loads of deep, plush velvet armchairs and hidden nooks for studying. With a view right down to the entrance doorways, it’s additionally an distinctive spot for people-watching.
Afternoon tea impressed by Bahrain’s place as a historic buying and selling hub is served within the library from 2pm-5.30pm every day, with blends together with a candy and aromatic lychee-jasmine infusion evoking the flavours of the Far East. For an additional contact of indulgence, go for the ChocoLAB menu which provides a chocolate fondue – accessible in 64% darkish, 32% white or 42% milk – with a bowl of banana slices, strawberry and marshmallows.
The lodge additionally has a small in-house spa providing therapies that “loosen up the thoughts, soul and physique” with merchandise from Bahrain’s Green Bar and the Spanish luxurious skincare model Natura Bissé.
Why Stay?
The Merchant House is a residing gallery that’s stuffed with inventive color — an artwork lover’s paradise with loads of cosy, tucked-away corners, beautiful suites and a surprising rooftop backyard lounge. You gained’t discover something prefer it wherever else in Bahrain, if not the broader Middle East.
The Essentials
- Rates: Rooms begin at BHD75 per evening (excluding taxes) for an Urban Suite
- Phone quantity: +62 361 773 377
- Website: themerchanthouse.bh
- Address: 150 Government Avenue, Manama, 304, Bahrain
