So, if you read my last blog entry, ranting about the high costs of mobile roaming in the UK/EU, you'll have noticed I'm in Bahrain. I'm still not going to go into the reasons why - they're still boring! But on the recommendation of a friend, I find myself staying at the Ramee Palace hotel.
Getting here in an area I've never visited before was quite painless thanks to the TwatNav(tm); although it does seem to think the hotel is called the "Ramze Palace" - one to watch out for Garmin users. The only downside is that most of the roads it took me down once I turned off the main road were mostly dust tracks between buildings in various states of completion (I did later work out a route that was all paved roads). Thankfully the dust roads weren't too bad, and it was only the last couple of minutes that were like this. So yes, the area (Juffair) is a bit of a building site. On saying that, I can't say I noticed much disturbance from the construction, so it's not too much to be worried about.
The hotel itself is one of the increasing number of "suite" hotels that seem to be increasing in popularity. Essentially, instead of the usual room with a bed, TV, bathroom, etc. you get what is more like a small apartment with a kitchen area, lounge area, bedroom(s) and bathroom(s). It seems some people even have long term lets on some of these suites and use them as a primary residence (mostly the overseas workers I think). What it does mean is you are staying somewhere a little more homely. On the downside, there were no pots or pans in the kitchen, and (as a Brit) worst of all there were no tea and coffee making facilities! Their website is a little quiet on the matter of kitchen equipment, but does state that there is a tea/coffee maker (of course, this could have been some hidden vending machine somewhere!)
The room I was in was a good size with decent furniture: a 3-seat sofa, armchair, coffee table, LCD TV, breakfast bar, electric oven, 4-plate electric
hob, microwave, fridge, freezer in the lounge/kitchen area; queen size bed, dressing table, bedside tables, wardrobe, LCD TV and electronic safe in the bedroom. All of which looked well kept and was comfy, apart from the wooden arms on the sofa and armchair if you wanted to lie or lean on them! The bathroom is what you'd expect from a hotel bathroom. Seemed clean enough, and I think my only complaint was the lack of shaver socket.
Sadly, the view from the patio doors (which I couldn't get to open, hence not a view from the balcony) in the lounge looks directly at the opposite wing of the building. It is best to think of the building as a U shape with the reception and lifts at the bottom of the U, then the 2 uprights are where most of the rooms are. In fact, the best view to be had on my stay was that from the glass lift going up to the room (the lift are on the inside of the U-shape, and overlook the sea). In the middle of the U, somewhat confusingly on the first floor, there is a open-air swimming pool.
Entertainment is easily on-hand with 7 venues within the hotel. My rant was written while in "Dublin", an Irish-American themed bar/club. I also mentioned a very tasty steak! Well it was. One of the few places that manage to cook a steak how you ask them. I am a medium-rare person (a concept some people don't understand - they complain by asking if I want it rare OR medium!) and this steak was still nice and red in the very middle, and still very juicy. It's also worth pointing out that I'd upgraded to the fillet steak as it was happy hours (every day, 1700 to 2100) and all food and drink is 20% off; and it came with a free half bottle of house wine (I had red, it was very drinkable). Live entertainment in the form of a band starts at 2100. Unlike most places in Bahrain, Dublin's band is of Western origin rather than the Filipino bands most hotels seem to employ. No idea if the band was any good... I left just as they were starting to head upstairs to see what this Belarusian thing was.
This lead me to the "Diva Lounge". The hotel info book in my room described it as a chill-out lounge with Russian ballet (or Russian-style entertainment in places). This is no longer quite accurate. It is now inhabited by a Belarusian dance troupe. My friend later described it, when I was talking about what I'd been up to, as being about the closest thing to a strip-club in Bahrain. Well it wasn't quite that bad... No clothing was shed, and the dancers were mostly covered, but it's still more than I get to see in my usual secret location! And I use the term "dancers" quite loosely. They just seemed to stand on stage and move as if trying to dance, but never really seeming to be 100% sure about things. Admittedly, it had just opened when I arrived, and there were 2 other patrons in. Eventually, the girls start sending notes out to people in the audience on napkins asking what your name is, why you're there, what you do for a living, etc. You send them notes back (there is a member of staff whose sole job seems to be to ferry these notes back and forth) and eventually they sing a song for you. The main problem is the music is so loud it does become deafening, and I still had a slight ringing in my ears the following morning. Probably a venue that works better when it's a little busier and there's more atmosphere for the dancers to work with.
In addition to these 2 venues, there are 2 sports bars, a 24-hour coffee shop that also serves breakfast and has (I think) free Wi-Fi if you buy food or drink, a Bollywood style live entertainment lounge, an Arabic disco, and an Arabic restaurant. The hotel also has other standard services such as laundry, currency exchange, air con in rooms, and also a gym.
Hard to give prices. Their internet site seems to be the best place to go as that was the cheapest price I could find for them. I paid 35BD per night (plus taxes) for a 1-bedroom suite with double bed on single occupancy. They also have 1-bedroom suites with twin beds, and some 2-bedroom apartments. Prices vary on size and occupancy (e.g. 40BD for a 1-bedroom suite for 2 people).
Overall, not a bad place to stay, once you get over the surrounding building site and the lack of view from anywhere but the lifts. Plenty of entertainment in the hotel, but you are probably looking at a taxi to get to any of the other major hotel entertainment venues. Definitely worth a try if you're in Bahrain though.
Website: http://www.rameehotels.com/ramee-palace-bahrain.php
Address: Building No. 103 Road No 22. Block no 324