Escapes

What is the best thing to do in Bahrain with kids? In my opinion, it is to go for a staycation! My son recently had a school break and we headed to the latest sensation in town, Address Beach Resort Bahrain located at Marassi Al Bahrain. I’d heard a lot of buzz around this new property and we had to check it out.

I live on the other side of the island, so driving there was like a short road trip. The day was sunny, the music was good and the traffic was light. When we arrived, we were greeted with a special welcome drink and my son was gifted a personalised colouring book and pencils while Bidisha was checking us in. The reception area is bright and beautifully decorated in tones of beige and blue. On the ceiling, a collection of leaf-shaped glass chandeliers looked like an art installation – simply stunning. In no time, we got our room key, a cute wooden card, and lovely Febronia accompanied us to the sixth floor. The room was absolutely fantastic! It was composed of a spacious bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, a guest bathroom and a massive living room with a round table and comfortable sofa and chairs, everything tastefully decorated.

Before heading to the balcony to soak in the uninterrupted view of the crystalline Gulf waters, my son spotted a teepee tent and went straight inside. What an awesome touch! While he was exploring his ‘new home’, I noticed a card welcoming us to the resort, signed by the Address’ General Manager, Ricardo Vale – chocolates, macarons and a fruit basket accompanied the message. So much care and attention, the perfect start to our mini-holiday. The space also had a modern minibar and a Nespresso machine. The drawers were filled with snacks, cups, mugs and all the necessary amenities. For those who love organised spaces, each item fit perfectly in tailor-made compartments – I loved that.

We finally reached the balcony and the view was breathtaking. In front of us was the vast sea; on the side, we could see an amazing pool and the rest of Marassi beach. We wanted to enjoy the view, so we sat on the balcony’s comfy chairs, sharing our amazement at the place and how lucky we were to be there.

We started to feel hungry, so we changed into our swimsuits and went down to grab a quick lunch at The Restaurant (surprisingly enough, that’s the name of the eatery) – they also have The Garden and The Lounge. The space was ample and gorgeous. We chose a table near the big windows to have a peek at the ocean while munching our food. The beige cushioned chairs and sofas had green detailing that matched the massive cream, blue and green carpet. There were big white vases with planted trees all over the place and the ultimate detail: lots of small glass pieces hanging from the ceiling, similar to the ones at the reception but on a smaller scale, adding extra oomph to the room.

As we were not very hungry, we opted for the artichoke and avocado salad with cherry tomatoes and parmesan. The artichoke was grilled and balanced with crispy green leaves and soft avocado. It was the first time my son had tried artichoke and he absolutely loved it. We also ordered some vegetable dim sum. The parcels were very light but full of flavour. We decided we had had enough of staring at the sea and it was time to enjoy the beach.

Before reaching the sand, there is a hut where you can get towels and they have a big pot of Sum Bum sunscreen SPF 50, in case you’ve forgotten yours, plus tissues, hand sanitiser and Evian Facial Spray. Satish, one of the staff members in charge of the beach area that day, asked if we wanted some beach toys and my son couldn’t have been happier, a bag with buckets, shovels and rakes – we were all set to build our incredible sand castle. The seawater was a bit chilly, so we went for a walk and discovered three big swings by the beach. They were so much fun! We spent a long time playing on them before deciding to go to the pool. The wind had decided to blow stronger, so diving in the temperature-controlled water was like entering a warm bath on a chilly day.