Bahrain is small, but where you stay changes everything.
You can wake up in the middle of the desert (Al Areen) with nothing but silence, or step straight into the hum of the souk. You can do barefoot and bohemian, or full marble-and-butler-service indulgence.
Here are five ways to experience the island; depending on your mood and your budget.
If you want to disappear, properly disappear, this is where you go.
Al Areen sits out in the desert, all privacy, palms and stillness. The villas are luxurious, each with its own pool and the pace is slow in the best possible way.
Raffles brings a more polished, global luxury energy, but still with that sense of retreat.
This is Bahrain at its most indulgent and most removed.
PS. They have a Writer's Lounge - and no shame - this is my plug for them to let me come and do a writing residency there pleaseeee....
Right by the souk, The Merchant House is for when you want to feel the rhythm of the city.
You step outside and you’re in the middle of it; the gold shops, the spices, the narrow streets, stories layered on top of each other.
Inside, it’s intimate, thoughtful and elegantly chic.
Stay here if you want Bahrain with context.
Fresh, polished and very much in the centre of things.
The newly redone Sheraton feels like a return to form; modern, efficient and well-positioned for business, meetings or just being in the middle of the action. Plus they have a great Iranian restaurant, Golestan, which is always a good thing!
Not overly complicated, just done well.
PS. For similar bustling, sleek vibes and plenty of nightlife, head to the Palmyard Hotel in Adliya.
If you want that “I’ve left the city” feeling without actually leaving Bahrain, head to Diyar.
Vida is light, relaxed and easy.
Address is a step up; slightly more refined, a bit more polished.
Both give you sea views, space and a sense of escape.
This is where you go to exhale.
If budget isn’t part of the conversation, then a villa here is the answer.
Private villas, beach access, full service; the kind of stay where you don’t really need to leave.
It’s classic, it’s excessive, and it delivers (when I win the lottery, you'll find me moving in here - literally)
If you want something slower, more personal,and boho, this is it. Emmanuel's French inspired B&B...full of boho quirks and inspiration.
It’s not about amenities, it’s about atmosphere.
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Bahrain doesn’t do just one kind of stay well, it does range.
And the best way to understand the island is to choose the version of it you want to wake up in.
For some Bahrain itineraries...
