By Stan Szecowka
Amwaj Islands this week unveiled its very first hotel costing BD22 million and it has been designed to resemble a sleeping dragon.
The Dragon Hotel & Resort will offer a range of lavish accommodation including suites, chalets and stunning villas all lining the water.
Amitabh Mathur, director of the Dragon Hotel & Resort, said: "We are thrilled to launch Amwaj Islands' very first premier hotel and resort.
"Every suite offers open sea views right at the water's edge of shimmering infinity pools, and most suites have their own terrace leading out to the pool areas.
"The Dragon will offer guests an unparalleled contemporary experience that they are sure to remember. After all, how many people can say that they stayed in the 'Dragon'?"
The chalets have two levels and consist of both three and four bedrooms. The three-level villas all have four bedrooms and feature their own private terrace, garden, Jacuzzi, a swimming pool right on the sea and feature futuristic elevator lifts.
The designers say the Dragon Hotel & Resort's 'sleeping dragon' shape, with its long neck stretching across the water to form a conical dragon-like head, is visible across Amwaj as a majestic giant watching over the great waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Its distinctive dragon scales prevail over the land, marking the hotel's 'most unique and iconic architectural' feature.
Being the first hotel to inhabit the heart of the manmade residential development, and just minutes away from the airport, the Dragon complex aims to cause quite a stir home and abroad.
Not only will it aim to serve as a getaway boasting luxurious amenities, it will also offer a host of leisure and entertainment facilities to the kingdom's residents.
The Dragon will feature two fine dining establishments to be launched during Eid in September and two trendy first class lounges right on the sea in a bid to attract 'fashionable visitors' from across Bahrain.
The management is confident visitors will also come from far and wide to relax in style at the well-known UK-based spa and salon Toni & Guy, one of the most popular hairdressing brands in the world.
The Dragon has been established by Saoud Kanoo, a private investor and successful Bahraini businessman.
To test the dragon's lair accommodation prices range from BD90 to BD1,000 a night. For more details visit www.dragonresorthotel.com