The just-published Bahrain  Hotel and Restaurant Guide 2001 was launched at a reception at the Riffa Golf Club last week . The annual guide has normally listed restaurants but, for the first time, a hotel section has been included this year. The 64-page BHRG gives basic data on the country's 77 hotels, from a luxury beachside hotel-resort to a youth hostel and a catering-school hostelry.

Hotels are listed according to the Tourism Affairs star ratings, and resorts and tourist apartments are included, too, all with contact data. Some 200 of Bahrain's restaurants, nightspots and eateries are placed in alphabetical order and then according to the type of food served -from American and Arabic to Thai and Turkish. Information includes hours, an approximate meal price, whether the restaurant is formal or casual, if there's home delivery, takeaways, catering and private dining rooms.

In addition, a number of Bahrain's well-known dining spots are highlighted in brief profiles on the food, ambience and personalities. “The pocket guide is an ideal reference both for residents and visitors from outside Bahrain”, commented George F. Middleton, BHRG publisher. “Even business people and others living in Bahrain can refer to the hotel section when booking for those arriving in Bahrain for meetings or families finding suitable accommodation for visiting friends.” Middleton recalled at the launch how a gastronomic critic reacted to the restaurant scene when he was invited two years ago to assess the offer. He “was in awe of the freedom given to the restaurant industry here to develop their individuality, to have genuine personalities run them and to provide a palette of options that surpasses anything else available in the Gulf and, I dare say, the Middle East”.

Previously published as a restaurant-only reference, the RHM guide had been a - more - hotel-restaurant guide must-have publication since it first appeared seven years ago, particularly for those wanting to call a favourite restaurant or trying to decide on other options for dining out. Adding the hotels makes the guide a still more valuable reference.