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Live music ban...temporary measure for one month only

Bahrain hotels seek to lift live music ban

MANAMA, December 22, 2014

A string of four-star hotels that were slapped with live music bans last month have started to reapply for entertainment licences in anticipation of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The 28 affected hotels had allegedly committed violations ranging from staying open past their licensed hours to recruiting musicians without approval and even allowing on-stage dancers to accept 'rewards' from paying customers, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

However, 12 four-star hotels where no violations were discovered continued to function normally.

On November 16, it was announced by the then Culture Ministry that the live music ban would be a temporary measure for one month only - and Bahrain's Four Stars Hotels Committee chairman Hameed Al Halwachi confirmed yesterday that hotels were indeed pushing ahead with getting clearance for live music and dancers to return.

“Several four-star hotels that have cleared an inspection by tourism officials have now applied for permission to have live bands perform at their outlets,” he said.

“These acts should be five-piece bands, according to the rule we were told, with professional members who are all from one country.”

Al Halwachi said that the hospitality sector as a whole had been adversely affected by the decision to ban live music in some four-star hotels, which also resulted in a sharp drop in room occupancy rates.

“The occupancy rate during the National Day holidays dropped from an average of 75 per cent last year to about 35pc this time,” he said.

“We expect hotels to do business in the coming weeks as lots of tourists from the GCC like to stay in the hotels where there is live entertainment.”

Al Halwachi said tourism officials were currently conducting reviews of hotels to ensure that they fit the regulations relating to their star rating.

These regulations include the size of rooms and beds available, height of mattresses and quality of furniture.

Existing hotels, where remodelling of the interior is impossible or financially prohibitive, are exempt from certain criteria, Al Halwachi said.

The terminology has also changed - meaning bars, discotheques and nightclubs in hotels will be now be referred to as 'lounges'.

Meanwhile, the ban on live entertainment and alcohol in all three-star hotels is still in place since it was first enforced in July.

This ban followed allegations of substandard facilities, hotels being operated as entertainment venues rather than places to stay and 'immoral activities' in some venues. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Bahrain | hotel | Ban | Live | Music |

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