Downtown Rotana — Hotel in Bahrain Island

I have been staying at this hotel in Manama since 2016. I have stayed here probably over 15-20+ times and always have had a phenomenal experience. However, this is the first time where I have a gripe and something to complain about.

Firstly, the buffet breakfast has drastically gone downhill. The vast array, variety, and quality of food item selections no longer exists here at this hotel. I don't know if it's due to post-covid situation but the buffet is horrible now. Whenever I went for breakfast every morning, they never had the usual array and variety of breakfast meats, no beef or pork bacon (only turkey bacon); no beef or pork sausages (only chicken sausages); was always told they had ran out of pancakes and waffles; no variety of hot cereals and variety of yogurts like they used to have; the buffet was extremely limited in it's variety and they constantly ran out of things quickly each and every morning. When you're paying $200-$500 per night at a hotel establishment like this, you would think the breakfast options would be vast, varied, and a lot better in quality, but it's not the case anymore and it's HIGHLY and EXTREMELY disappointing.

Secondly, the body wash available in the showers, it seems like they've changed the type of body wash they offer. Every time I used the body wash, it really dried out my skin, which tells me that they are using a cheap brand of body wash now because this never, ever, happened before in all my previous stays, never ever had an issues with the using the body wash, but every time I took a shower during my recent visit, the body wash dried out my skin horribly. So, definitely advised brining your own body wash.

Apart from those 2 complaints/issues, service, friendliness, helpfulness and professionalism of the staff was perfect as per usual. From the staff in the lobby, to the staff on the rooftop bar and in the gym, they were stellar.

I would highly recommend getting a massage here, especially the hot stone massage. I don't know the woman's name, but she was from Thailand and she gave me THEE best hot stone massage I have ever had outside of Thailand. My friend who's a massage therapist himself, was also incredibly impressed and pleased with his massage that he received from her too, she was freaking amazing. So, I would highly recommend getting a massage from her and also recommend management increasing her salary because she was phenomenal and super professional at what she does.

Overall, I definitely will stay here again as I love the location, the consistent professionalism, friendliness and helpfulness of the staff here. I just won't pay extra for the buffet to be included as it's definitely not worth it anymore. Better to eat breakfast elsewhere or order breakfast via an app...

In short, don't book here expecting a 5 star experience.

We booked downtown as we were visiting for Eid a s mainly needed a place to sleep and shower in-between visits to relatives. We wanted a five star hotel for ease and comfort and for gym and pool.

The hotel facilities and rooms are not five starz definitely not on par with the likes of Four seasons Bahrain Bay which is fantastic. The rooms are small, clean but lacking a 5 star veneer, they are modern and functional only, and are definitely on the small side. We asked for a cot, 3 days into our 7 day stay and one still hasn't materialised. The view from our room is depressing.

The gym is small, I expected more to be honest. The pool and sauna area is adequate but again, not spa like at all.

The service is highly variable. Sometimes youl get great service, at other times downright poor. Examples of this are the valet. They take forever to bring your car around because there are too many cars and not enough valets. They also stupidly park certain vehicles(certain nationality of guests?) right Infront of the hotel so half the area is blocked. It means there's only one lane in the front of the hotel so when someone is being dropped off or loading the car, there is a massive queue.

Secondly, the front desk. They don't allow outside drivers to bring orders to your room, ok fair enough. But then they wont send it to the room citing they are too busy! Are you serious? This is a five star hotel, the whole concept is customer service! I went down once to collect and the whole lobby was empty, ridiculous. Once I requested they send it to the room, they agreed and twenty minutes and two phone calls later with no clairty as to where the food was, it still hadn't arrived. Went down and it was just sitting on the table in reception.

Being busy is no excuse for a five star hotel, if you can't provide a five star hotel room or facilities the least you can do is make up for it in service. If your busy, hire more staff. Totally regret booking this place for 7 nights, should have just gone back to the...

A Truly Remarkable Stay – Feels Like a Home Away from Home

I’ve been staying at this hotel since May 25, with more days ahead — and I must say, the experience has been nothing short of exceptional.

From the moment you step out of the taxi, the warmth of the staff welcomes you. Everyone is friendly, helpful, and genuinely caring. Check-in was smooth, filled with smiles and pleasant conversation. I had requested a quiet room for my long stay, and they delivered exactly what I needed. The room is comfortable, housekeeping is always on time, and the laundry service is outstanding.

The hotel facilities are excellent. I enjoy my daily breakfast on the 2nd floor, where the team consistently delivers an amazing experience. Glenda greets everyone with a beautiful smile and a heartfelt “good morning,” and never fails to send you off with a kind “have a great day.”

Inside the restaurant, Sara is warm and hospitable, always attending with grace and a positive attitude. Adrian is equally attentive and friendly, while Shyrel is consistently helpful and kind.

One of the highlights of my stay was when Chef David Miras approached me personally to ask about the food. I gave a few suggestions, and to my surprise, the very next day I noticed thoughtful changes had already been made. That level of attentiveness is rare and highly appreciated. Thank you, Chef David, for leading such a wonderful team.

I also want to recognize the amazing swimming pool team, especially Ammar & Alam who goes above and beyond to ensure guests are comfortable and well looked after.

And a special thank you to the gentlemen managing the parking service — always professional, courteous, and quick to assist.

To everyone at the hotel: thank you for making this stay so enjoyable. It’s truly the people that turn a stay into a memorable experience, and your team does exactly that...