Nowadays the wind is used to power Bahrain’s megaskyscrapers, like the mighty turbines between the gleaming sails of the 290m World Trade Centre. 

But for thousands of years wind towers were an ancient architectural technique used in Bahrain to cool buildings.  They’re now coming back into fashion, and it’s less about substance, and more about style.    

The old city of Muharraq is filled with traditional Bahraini homes and buildings.  Everywhere you look, there are structures with the signature chimney, divided into four parts like an X, revealing the wind tower.  My guide is restoration builder Khaled Shoaibi.

The wind tower, or catcher, is an architectural device designed thousands of years ago to help create ventilation, acting as a sort of air conditioner. It functions by catching cooler breezes at higher levels and directing them into the interior of buildings.  We’re headed to a historical house to see how it works, as Khaled explains why wind towers aren’t actually practical these days.

“Usually they are used in a family setting.  Like to make coolness for the place they are sitting.  But now, they are doing just like a design, like a facade, but it’s still working.  They make it decorative to show this is part of the tradition.  Because of the weather and the luxurious life, people now have air conditioning so they don’t need wind towers now.  Our temperature is reaching 45-48 [degrees celcius] at the summer and here in Bahrain we have a lot of humidity. “

Khaled says that in this extreme humidity people often feel like they are unable to breathe. It’s for this reason that the “badgir” has been trumped by more efficient, cost-effective cooling systems. In spite of this however, there has been a resurgence in traditional Bahraini design, says Khaled.

“People still love the traditional style of architecture. I feel it more now than before.  A lot of people are trying to make their own houses reflect Bahraini design.”

Khaled and his partners are the only builders in Bahrain constructing traditional wind towers.

“The idea came from me and my partners to create a company that can repeat that traditional building and we should teach the Bahraini people or the Bahraini youth how we can build a Bahraini building.  We started to search for these people who have proper experience like the masons.  It was very difficult to find somebody with experience in that kind of building, but we found an old mason, the youngest is 60 years old, but they are in good health.  We brought young Bahrainis and gave them the concept of what we are doing. We want to repeat our tradition because you cannot find this even in a lot of Gulf countries.”

Khaled explains that places like Iran where there’s a big difference between daytime and night time temperatures, are better suited to the wind catchers which reduce the actual temperature by 5-7 degrees. We arrive in Muharraq to tour one of Khaled’s projects …a new large, modern restaurant.  They’re building a wind catcher for a small outdoor patio where guests can smoke shisha.  In search of the traditional, we turn a few corners and head down some old alleyways until we arrive at the sight of Muharraq’s historical wind tower.

"Windcatchers" in Yazd, Iran. Photo: N. Kasraian

We enter an old home built of coral stone and in the family sitting room we feel the breeze come down the X-shaped chimney, swirling cool air around.   The coral stone they brought from the sea and cut like thin stone.

 “See, you feel it.  It’s coming straight down.  That’s why they call it wind catcher.  They build it in the X-shape and keep it open in four directions so anywhere they can catch the air, and it drops down the chimney.   Usually we sleep on the roof in summer because it’s too hot.  We have wooden shutters and recesses in the roof to act as wind catchers, too.    It’s another type of wind catcher used as a parapet in the roof. “

The recess and parapet literally create a ricochet effect, directing the wind and cooling the space.   Khaled explains not every Bahraini family has wind towers…something he’d like to change.

“Not all the houses are building wind towers, only people who can afford it.  We are coming back to these things and trying to develop these traditional things to be suitable for modern buildings. It will take time, but for now people are interested at least to do something in the facade.  This is the beginning.”

Khaled is already working on wind towers in other parts of the Gulf.  If the revival catches on, the ancient tradition could prove more than a rich facade.

Bahrain’s capital city, Manama, is a sea of shopping malls.  There’s high end, low end, and lots in between.    

The hotel landscape isn’t as vast.   A handful of chain hotels dot downtown Manama, but few can boast free wi-fi and large rooms, which is where Fraser Suites excels. 

 Everything about this hotel, with its 90 suites and penthouse apartments, is easily accessible. The hotel is directly attached to the Seef Mall, I’m told the first in Manama, and now, sadly out-glitzed by a number of other newer malls. 

But there are still plenty of boutiques and restaurants to keep one entertained for at least an afternoon or evening.  And the hotel will happily provide a shuttle service to the nearby City Centre Mall, where there’s a French hypermarket to fill the fridge. 

Even if you’re not into shopping, these malls boast 20-screen cineplexes, which , frankly, I wish I had time to indulge in.  Films are shown in Arabic, Hindi, and English. 

As with all hotel rooms, the key to a good one is the layout, even more so for a hotel appealling to the corporate and family market.  I’m staying in a one bedroom and it really does feel like the kind of place I’d like to live in. 

I’m spoiled for choice about a work location – there’s the desk in the living room, or the fantastic L-shaped couch (my preference).  The decor is modern and stylish, with lots dimmable lights and not a single drop in the broadband line. 

Apartments are fitted with microwaves, washing machines and ironing boards, if you’re so inclined.  And the Phillip Thomas Roth toiletries are worth taking.

The business centre is a delight for its ease of use: computers, printers, and no key needed for entry.  Attached to it is a small, darkened room with a big screen TV, two Lazy-Boys and a video game console.  I’m not sure the location inside the business centre is ideal, but it’s a great feature for stir-crazy kids.

The gym is no broom closet, equipped with CV machines, weights, and even machines that do the stretching for you, which is how you know you’re in the Gulf.   And the outdoor pool is a decent size for a city hotel.

Breakfast was a buffet of Anglo-Arabic treats.  I look forward to the spicy eggs every morning, a combination of scrambled, with green chillies, tomatoes and a green vegetable similar to spinach. 

Eggs are cooked to order, on request, but it’s not really necessary with all the options on offer … there’s the classic Egyptian breakfast of foul, a mixture of beans, tomatoes and spices, and very American pancakes. 

There’s a wide selection of cheeses, hummus (yes, for breakfast), and plenty of sweets – from the local nut-filled baklavas, to good old fashioned doughnuts.

Most important of all, is the helpful staff.  

Of particular note is Theresa, who’s been a fantastic navigator through the local taxi system.  Anyone who’s been once knows Manama taxis rival London on price.  It generally winds up cheaper to hire a car and driver for a half or full day, but even that will tax your expense account.  Theresa has pulled out all the stops and negotiated a rate with her personal driver, a lovely Indian expat, to cart me around.   She’s even phoned me on her day off to make sure the arrangements worked out OK.

 Olivier, the manager, has ferried me to the mall when no one else was around to do it, before knowing the reason for my stay.

All in all, it’s been a great stay at the Seef Suites. If I’m honest, I’m thankful the Seef Mall is a mini-version of the rest in town.  It’s a perfect break from the workload, but avoids becoming a serious distraction. The Fraser may not have flash, but it’s got something even better – a low key, relaxing place to work and stay.

Fraser Suites – Seef Mall

Road 2825

Block Al Seef 428,

 Building 2109
+ 973 17569333

After five days working hard in Manama, covering events ranging from the anniversary of pro-democracy protests, to efforts to revive the soukh, the time for a little R&R has arrived, even if that arrival is a little hectic. 

There’s still one more event to attend … the opening of a new exhibit of Jordanian art at the Bahrain National Museum, before my downtime begins.  And after spending all afternoon in an Abaya, covering a protest in Bab Al-Bahrain, I have a tight 30 minutes to organise myself and grab a bite.

I breeze into the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel and Spa, my bags having checked in before me, and whiz upstairs to the Club Lounge where I’m grateful for a breathtaking view of the Gulf. 

The effect is instantly calming.  I’ve come in search of a nibble. Food first, then shower – priorities. 

Service is instant, and so is a wide selection of savouries and sweets to dull the hunger pangs.  Even better than the food though, is the layout of the lounge.  Counter-top bar stools face the Gulf and provide the best seats in the house – enough to make one anti-social.  A second room offers a living room-type set up with couches and a big screen TV, perfect for whiling away the hours before a late night/early am flight.

After a late night mingling with Bahrain’s royalty, ministers, diplomats and other influentials, I finally return to my sumptuous room at the Ritz.  It, too, offers an amazing view which stretches to the Financial Harbour.   It’s contemporary and elegant, yet comfortable, with high tech tricks like TV screens embedded into the bathroom mirror. 

Mine was a mere room, not that I’m complaining … but there are also suites for high net worth individuals of all categories, from diplomatic to royal.  Better yet, are the three-bedroom villas set amidst the lush, landscaped gardens and sandy beaches.  More on the beaches later.   Villas are decorated with natural materials and designer furnishings.  

Bedrooms open onto private gardens, and well-equipped kitchens can be occupied by on-demand chefs to prepare the catch of the day.   Even spa treatments can be done room-service style.

I emerge at a decent hour to enjoy the Club breakfast; I’m guessing just a smattering of the buffet downstairs.  There’s an entire menu and they don’t bat an eyelash at the egg-white omelette request.  There are the usual suspects, complemented by Arabic treats like hummus, foul medames, and soft, fluffy pita bread.

Eight restaurants at the Ritz draw non-residents for its fine and varied cuisine, from Indian to Italian.   Buffets here are suitably seductive, forcing one to pace and prioritise to avoid filling up only half-way through the meal.

It’s time to move beyond the rooms and Club lounge. The 20 acres of grounds here are magnificent. There’s a marina, where boats can be chartered, and water sports equipment can be hired.  And a lovely wood-decked path is perfect for a morning or early evening jog around the lagoon to the Ritz’s private island.  Usually, there are “beach” people and “pool” people, with distinctly different preferences.  I happen to be both.  For me, the pool is for swimming proper laps, the beach is for relaxing, shell-collecting and nodding off to the sound of the waves. The Ritz excels at both.

I wasn’t prepared for the white, fine, sandy beach and the beautiful, abundant shells.   The outdoor pool is of epic proportions; over one-thousand metres for any other die-hards

Unfortunately, Bahrain suffered a drastic cold spell during my visit, so I was forced to abandon my Olympic training and settle for the indoor pool, nearly half the size, yet big enough for both me and splashing kiddies. 

There’s recreation galore here – tennis and squash courts, a croquet lawn and a serious gym packed with CV equipment and weights, and daily classes.

And then, there is the spa.  I must admit, I am not a big spa person, but the facilities and treatments here could convert me.  A Thalasso pool, and Hammam, offering candle-lit plunge pools of varying degrees, as well as scented steam rooms, a sauna and a Relaxation Lounge all set the scene for chilling out, even before the treatment begins. 

I’m booked in for one of the “divine” facials, called “La Alternativa” by Natura Bisse, the Spanish skincare company all the celebs are raving about for its roughly $800 skin serum.  

That gets you just 2 ounces.  But it works. 

Sharon, my facialist, talks me through the treatment, scaring me with warnings of a burning sensation during the carboxi-therapy exfoliation and peel, saying many women who’d gone before me found it terribly uncomfortable and only submitted time and time again because of the great results.  Having a high threshold for pain (don’t we all like to think that?); I take a deep breath and brace myself.  A few tingles later, I ask if that was it.  I don’t feel all that brave.  Next comes the good part, the Lipofiller complex which leaves my face looking 10 years younger.  I’m not kidding.  If only the effects last more than a few days.  She assured me that that, taken regularly, these treatments really can sustain their effects. 

The spa menu is a vast selection of rituals, facials, massages, and repairing treatments.  Among the most interesting is the Jet Lag Reviver Ritual, which begins with eucalyptus and body brushing, and ends with spinal pressure to reset the body clock.  Carefully selected oils work to calm the system and prepare for sleep.  

Speaking of sleep…the Deep Sleep Aromatic Ritual sounds wonderful, with a full body massage and intensely calming oils to encourage sedation.   A Hot Stone Ritual promises to re-balance and clarify the system, leaving one with a clearer head, and presumably an easier mind to settle into sleep.    

There’s also a couples ritual which includes a body scrub, massage, and facial.  I’ve never heard of a Sun Repair Ritual, and am intrigued by its use of Marine DNA and essential oil from olive leaves to repair sunburned skin.

A scrub bar offers choices of honey, diamond dust (yes, for real), bamboo and vitamin C and cocoons, such a nicer term than “wrap,” are offered in various muds and algaes. Specialist eye-lifting treatments are available, as are packages for men, and pregnant women.

Beyond the spas, the swimming pools, and the lounging, what the Ritz Carlton Bahrain really does best is service. Guests seem to be known my name by all the staff, and one is never at a loss to find someone to assist.  The hotel seems to work as precisely as a Swiss clock.

Requests never have to be made twice; once is enough.  And at midnight, when the front desk is flooded with check-ins and check-outs, the staff is unflappable.  I recall my iPhone is operating with a local SIM card, and that I’ll want to replace it with my UK one as soon as I land, but I’m missing the needle-like instrument necessary to open the compartment to do so.  My McGyver mind thankfully kicks in and I request a sewing kit just before I leave.  At this hour, in any other hotel, such a request would not be fulfilled before missing my flight.  At the Ritz, I turned away for a minute before I heard, “Ms Hughes, your sewing kit.”

I’m told many of the Ritz Carlton Bahrain’s guests, apart from business travellers, are leisure guests keen for some sunshine and loyal to the brand.  With service like this, I can see why the Ritz Carlton gets cult-like status.

Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel and Spa

+973 1758 0000

www.ritzcarlton.com