What Gulf Hotels Group does

Gulf Hotels Group B.S.C. is a publicly listed Bahraini hospitality group (Bahrain Stock Exchange: GHG) operating an integrated portfolio across hotels, residential, food and beverage, contract catering, commercial laundry, beverage distribution, and commercial real estate. Founded in 1967/1969 as Bahrain Hotels Company, the Group owns and manages six hotels and resorts spanning Bahrain (Gulf Hotel Bahrain with 361 rooms, Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort with 166 rooms, Crowne Plaza Bahrain with 278 rooms, and Bahrain Airport Hotel), Dubai (Grand Mercure Business Bay, 270 rooms), and Zanzibar (Ocean Paradise Resort and Spa). The Group operates under franchise or affiliation with Marriott International (Autograph Collection), Accor (Grand Mercure, Novotel), and IHG (Crowne Plaza), and manages third-party properties including a recent MoU for three hotels totalling ~1,000 rooms in Makkah with Burhan Hotels (Feb 2026). Branded residences include Gulf Executive Residence (97 apartments) and Gulf Executive Residence Juffair (109 apartments).

The Group generates revenue through hotel ownership and operations (rooms, F&B, spa, and ancillary services), third-party hotel management fees under a TPO model, institutional contract catering (Gulf Catering W.L.L., launched February 2026, with a purpose-built Central Kitchen serving schools, universities, hospitals, corporate offices, industrial facilities, and large-scale events), commercial laundry (over 1 million pieces processed monthly for 30+ hotels, restaurants, and airlines), beverage distribution (Gulf Brands International with 400+ products from 50+ international brands across retail, on-trade, and GBI Express home delivery), standalone F&B expansion via GHG Hospitality (wholly owned subsidiary established August 2024 into Time Out Market Bahrain, Al Liwan, Marassi Galleria, and Bayfront Al Khobar), outsourced housekeeping via MFive Services (JV with Abu Dhabi National Hotels and Metro Global, pay-per-room model), and commercial office leasing (Gulf Executive Offices: 7,000 sqm with 600-bay car park in Manama). Pricing models are property-specific for hospitality, with B2B catering, laundry, and housekeeping on negotiated contracts. Geographic footprint spans Bahrain (core), UAE (Dubai), Saudi Arabia (Makkah, Al Khobar, Riyadh), and Tanzania (Zanzibar).

Technology assets include the Prestige Club loyalty programme (Silver/Gold/Platinum tiers with iOS and Android apps) and integration with global hotel brand systems (Marriott Bonvoy, Accor ALL, IHG One Rewards). The Group is chaired by Fawzi Kanoo (Vice Chairman of Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo) and led since October 2023 by Group CEO Ahmed Janahi (formerly Senior Director – Private Markets at Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding). Major shareholders include Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding (the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund), Social Insurance Organization, and family investment vehicles. For FY2025, the Group reported net profit of BD 9.8 million (approximately USD 26 million) up 10.1% year-on-year, and declared BD 5.64 million in dividends (25 fils per share) at its March 2026 AGM.

Name

Gulf Hotels Group

Legal name

Gulf Hotels Group B.S.C.

Website

https://gulfhotelsgroup.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gulf Hotels Group B.S.C. is a publicly listed Bahraini hospitality group owning and managing six hotels across Bahrain, Dubai, and Zanzibar, with diversified F&B, contract catering, laundry, beverage distribution, and office leasing businesses serving leisure, corporate, and institutional clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Business & Corporate Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering) (THAHAKAC), Beachfront & Coastal Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAI)

Keywords

• Hospitality management services
• Hotel ownership operations
• Contract catering services
• Commercial laundry services
• Beverage distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manama

HQ country

Bahrain

HQ region

Middle East

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Hotel Ownership & Operations: The Group owns and operates a portfolio of hotels and resorts across Bahrain, Dubai, and Zanzibar, generating revenue through room revenues, food and beverage, spa, and ancillary services. Properties include Gulf Hotel Bahrain (Autograph Collection), Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort (Accor), Bahrain Airport Hotel, Crowne Plaza Bahrain (IHG), Grand Mercure Business Bay Dubai, and Ocean Paradise Resort and Spa Zanzibar.
2. Third-Party Hotel Management (TPO) Services: Gulf Hotels Group charges management fees for operating hotels owned by third parties, including revenue optimization, sales and distribution, cost control, and guest experience management. The MoU with Burhan Hotels for three properties in Makkah (~1,000 rooms) represents a new third-party management revenue stream.
3. Food & Beverage Operations: The Group operates an extensive portfolio of restaurants (Takht Jamsheed, China Garden, Sato, La Pergola, Margarita Mexicana, Fusions, Rasoi, Al Waha, and more), cafés, lounges, and bars across owned properties and standalone locations including Time Out Market Bahrain and Al Liwan. GHG Hospitality is a wholly owned subsidiary (est. August 2024) focused on expanding F&B brands beyond hotel settings.
4. Gulf Catering (Contract Catering): Gulf Catering W.L.L. is the contract catering and food production arm launched in February 2026, serving schools, universities, hospitals, corporate offices, industrial facilities, and large-scale events from a purpose-built Central Kitchen. Targets institutional and corporate B2B clients across Bahrain.
5. MFive Services (Outsourced Housekeeping): MFive Services is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Metro Global, and Gulf Hotels Group, offering fully outsourced hotel housekeeping priced on a pay-per-room basis — converting fixed payroll costs into occupancy-driven variable expenses for hotel owners.
6. Commercial Laundry Services: Gulf Hotel Laundry Services operates a state-of-the-art two-storey commercial laundry facility processing over a million pieces per month and serving more than 30 hotels, restaurants, and airlines.
7. Commercial Real Estate (Gulf Executive Offices): Gulf Executive Offices offers 7,000 sqm of prime office space along with a 600-bay multi-storey car park adjacent to Gulf Hotel in Manama, generating leasing revenue.
8. Beverage Distribution (Gulf Brands International): Gulf Brands International imports and distributes over 400 beverage products from more than 50 international companies across retail, home delivery, and on-trade (hospitality) channels in Bahrain. Also includes GBI Express home delivery service.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gulf Hotels Group owns, operates, and manages a diversified hospitality platform spanning hotels and resorts, restaurants, cafés and lounges, branded residences, contract catering, commercial laundry, outsourced housekeeping, beverage distribution, commercial office space, and third-party hotel management services. The Group's core offerings include six owned/managed hotel properties across Bahrain, Dubai, and Zanzibar under global brand franchises (Marriott Autograph Collection, Accor Grand Mercure/Novotel, IHG Crowne Plaza), an 18+ restaurant portfolio spanning multiple cuisines, and B2B services such as Gulf Catering's Central Kitchen operations, Gulf Hotel Laundry Services processing 1M+ pieces per month, and Gulf Brands International's distribution of 400+ beverage products.

Product overview

Gulf Hotels Group operates a diversified hospitality platform encompassing hotels and resorts (6 properties across Bahrain, Dubai, and Zanzibar), branded residences (2 properties with 206 apartments total), an extensive restaurant portfolio (18+ outlets serving Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Persian, Indian, Mediterranean, and international cuisines), cafés and lounges (10+ venues), contract catering services (Gulf Catering), commercial laundry, housekeeping outsourcing (MFive Services joint venture), beverage distribution (Gulf Brands International), and commercial real estate (Gulf Executive Offices). The Group provides professional services including hotel management, investment advisory, and technical services. The portfolio includes brand franchise partnerships with Marriott (Autograph Collection), Accor (Grand Mercure, Novotel), and IHG (Crowne Plaza). The Group also operates a loyalty program (Prestige Club) and subsidiary GHG Hospitality for standalone F&B expansion. Recent strategic moves include expansion into Saudi Arabia with three Makkah hotels and acquisition of Truffle Hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prestige Club: Gulf Hotels Group's flagship dining and hospitality loyalty program with Silver, Gold, and Platinum membership tiers
• Gulf Catering
• Gulf Brands International
• MFive Services
• GHG Hospitality

Products and services

• Gulf Hotel Bahrain
• Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort
• Crowne Plaza Bahrain
• Bahrain Airport Hotel
• Grand Mercure Business Bay (Dubai)
• Ocean Paradise Resort and Spa (Zanzibar)
• Gulf Executive Residence Juffair
• Gulf Executive Residence (Adliya)
• Gulf Catering
• Gulf Hotel Laundry Services
• MFive Services
• Gulf Brands International
• Gulf Executive Offices
• Prestige Club
• GHG Hospitality (F&B Subsidiary)
• Bahrain Family Leisure Company
• Hospitality Investment & Operations (TPO Services)
• Food and Beverage Services
• Restaurants & Cafés Portfolio
• The Gulf Spa & Salon

Quantifiable outcome

• Net profit of BD 9.8 million for 2025, up from BD 8.9 million in 2024 — a 10.1% year-on-year increase reflecting portfolio growth and operational efficiency.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RCSI Medical University of BahrainminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Gulf Catering announced a strategic collaboration with RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, extending its institutional catering presence within the education sector. This partnership supports Gulf Catering's market penetration in the Bahraini institutional catering market.
• Burhan HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Gulf Hotels Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Burhan Hotels to operate and manage three hotels in Makkah, Saudi Arabia totalling approximately 1,000 rooms. GHG will oversee renovations, repositioning, and secure brand affiliations with international hospitality groups. The partnership marks GHG's entry into the Saudi market as a third-party operator directly supporting Saudi Vision 2030 objectives for professionally managed pilgrim accommodation.
• Truffle HospitalitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Gulf Hotels Group signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Truffle Hospitality, strengthening the Group's position within the hospitality and food & beverage sector. This acquisition, announced in 2026, will expand GHG's F&B platform and brand portfolio.
• MFive Services (Abu Dhabi National Hotels & Metro Global JV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2025Gulf Hotels Group entered a joint venture with MFive Services (owned by Abu Dhabi National Hotels and Metro Global) to establish MFive Services in Bahrain — a fully outsourced, pay-per-room hotel housekeeping operation. The model converts fixed payroll costs into occupancy-driven variable expenses for hotel owners, with GHG contributing regional hospitality expertise and operational scale.
• Ajdan CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 October 2025Gulf Hotels Group signed an agreement with Ajdan Company to open Takht Jamsheed Restaurant at Bayfront Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. This marks GHG's first standalone F&B expansion into Saudi Arabia under its iconic Persian dining brand.
• Eagle Hills DiyarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 September 2025Gulf Hotels Group and Eagle Hills Diyar signed an agreement to open Takht Jamsheed Restaurant at Marassi Galleria, Bahrain. This expands the Persian dining brand within Bahrain, leveraging Eagle Hills' retail and lifestyle destination footprint.
• AccorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Gulf Hotels Group signed an agreement with Accor to rebrand Gulf Court Hotel Business Bay as Grand Mercure Business Bay in Dubai, expanding its presence under Accor's Grand Mercure brand and accessing Accor's ALL loyalty ecosystem. Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort is also operated under Accor's brand.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Gulf Hotels Group signed an agreement with Marriott International to integrate Gulf Hotel Bahrain into the Autograph Collection and the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme. This strategic collaboration preserves Gulf Hotel's heritage identity while extending global distribution reach through Marriott Bonvoy's 150+ million member base.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ISS A/S: Global facility services provider including outsourced housekeeping for hotels. Relevant peer for GHG's MFive Services JV, addressing the same end-customers (hotel owners seeking cost optimization) with a similar outsourced services model at greater scale.
• Compass Group: Global contract catering and support services major. Comparable to GHG's Gulf Catering subsidiary as a B2B institutional catering operator serving corporate, healthcare, education, and events clients, though at vastly greater geographic scale.
• Millennium Hotels & Resorts: Global hotel group headquartered in the UAE with significant Middle East presence across multiple brands (Millennium, Copthorne, M Social). Comparable as a multi-brand hotel operator with broad regional distribution and franchise-style affiliations.

Direct peers

• Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH): UAE-listed hospitality conglomerate owning and operating hotels, catering, and related services - GHG's JV partner in MFive Services. Closely comparable diversified hospitality platform with catering, hotel ownership, and facility services businesses across the Gulf.
• Kempinski Hotels: European luxury hotel group with strong Middle East footprint (Bahrain, Dubai, Saudi Arabia). Comparable as a luxury full-service operator targeting similar business and leisure segments, including a notable Bahrain presence (Kempinski Bahrain City Centre).
• Rotana Hotel Management Corporation: Abu Dhabi-headquartered hotel management company operating 70+ properties across the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Comparable as a regional full-service hotel owner/operator with similar asset-light TPO ambitions and comparable Bahrain/UAE/KSA geographic overlap.
• Jabal Omar Development: Saudi-listed real estate developer focused on Makkah hospitality and pilgrimage accommodation. Highly comparable given GHG's MoU with Burhan Hotels for three Makkah hotels; both target the religious tourism segment under Saudi Vision 2030.
• Sun Siyam Resorts: Maldives-headquartered resort operator with properties across the Indian Ocean. Comparable to GHG's Ocean Paradise Resort Zanzibar in offering beachfront full-service resort experiences in Indian Ocean destinations and similar diversification into adjacent F&B and services.

Emerging players

• Shaza Hotels: Middle East-based upscale/luxury hotel brand with properties across the GCC and Africa. Comparable as a regional full-service hotel operator with shared target segments in the luxury and upper-upscale tiers across similar geographies.

Others

• Bahrain Tourism Company (BTC): Former owner of Crowne Plaza Bahrain (acquired by GHG in 2016) and historic Bahrain tourism promoter. Relevant historical peer illustrating GHG's consolidation of Bahrain's hotel landscape and potential future M&A comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulf-hotels-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/gulfhotelsgroup

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gulf Hotels Group