Author: Pavia Rosati

A Day Well Lived at Home in Bahrain Bay

Posted on by Pavia Rosati

At Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay, residents wake up to sweeping views of the sea and the Manama skyline and spend the day moving effortlessly between private residential comforts and the many amenities at the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel. 

The property, designed by the San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler, reflects Bahrain itself, a country where deep-rooted traditions and hospitality coexist with innovation, contemporary design, and a global outlook. London’s Rive Gauche took the lead on interior design, crafting expansive luxury residences, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, open-plan living spaces, marble kitchens and bathrooms, mother-of-pearl details, and state-of-the-art home technology. 

The 112 private residences (a mix of apartments, duplexes, and penthouses with indoor-outdoor living areas and infinity pools) are located in two modern buildings connected by a light-filled lobby. Inside are ample communal spaces: a lounge, a children’s area, a fitness room, a movie theatre, and a multi-purpose room. Outside, highlights include a private pool overlooking the bay, a landscaped pool deck, and a children’s play area. Across a bridge (an easy walk or a faster buggy ride) are the many hotel amenities available to residents—Wolfgang Puck restaurants and lounges, a spa, three pools, a beach club, and more.  

Centrally situated, the property is just minutes away from some of the capital city’s most sophisticated offerings, from luxury shopping at MODA Mall and The Avenues-Bahrain to must-visit cultural institutions including the Bahrain National Museum and Bahrain Fort (also known as Qal’at al-Bahrain), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And for those seeking an adrenaline rush, there’s the Bahrain International Circuit, home to Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix.  

But residents can also have a rich experience without stepping off the premises if that’s what they prefer. Herewith, a day in the life at Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay.  

Sunrise

The day begins with the view. Just beyond the architecturally striking towers of Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay lies the showstopper that you see upon waking: the bay’s turquoise waters and the cloudless sky beyond. This will be a beautiful day.  

Mid-Morning 

Time to move. You’re considering either a cardio and weights workout in the residents-only fitness centre, a private yoga session on the lawn overlooking the bay, or a special Pilates pop-up class. The children are busy in the nearby outdoor play area or supervised in the indoor playroom. 

Lunch 

Call for a buggy and head to lunch at the hotel, which feels like an extension of home. You had a steak at Wolfgang Puck’s Cut yesterday, and though you’re tempted by the Lebanese menu at Byblos, today you’re in the mood for Puck’s take on modern Asian cuisine at Re Asian.  

Afternoon 

The hotel’s private white-sand beach beckons—as does a swim in the infinity pool followed by a relaxing hour spent on a lounger at the beach club. But friends are visiting from abroad, and you want to treat them to something special. The Residences Team delivers by arranging a group outing: a boat trip to Jarada Island, the beautiful cay that’s considered Bahrain’s best-kept secret.  

Quick Break 

Send a message to the director of residences and their dedicated team (they’re available 24/7 via a WhatsApp chat or through the Four Seasons app) to check on final arrangements for dinner. 

Evening 

The reunion continues with drinks and snacks at the elegant Resident’s Lounge, where you introduce your friends to some of your neighbours. 

Dinner 

Your favourite concierge has Formula 1 tickets for you, but tonight calls for something more intimate with your friends, so the team arranges for a Four Seasons private chef to prepare dinner in your own home.  

Evening Entertainment 

The residents-only private cinema, just an elevator ride away, combines Hollywood glamour (red velvet seats, footrests, the latest audiovisual technology) with the comfort of home (popcorn and your favourite movie).  

Late Night 

Your guests have departed, and a final indulgence awaits. At 11 p.m., the Four Seasons spa opens for the Night Spa experience, a 60-minute aromatherapy couples’ massage, followed by private access to the indoor pool from midnight until 1 a.m. Chocolates, macarons, fresh berries, and a bouquet of roses complete the experience. The city sleeps, the water ripples in the background, and Bahrain Bay feels like it’s all yours. 

To learn more about Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay, head here. 

FS Private Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas

Four Seasons Private Residences Bahrain Bay

Sky-high luxury in Manama

Discover more
 

 

 

What to Do in Bangkok: One of the World’s Best Chefs on Her Favorite Haunts

Posted on by Pavia Rosati

Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, known as Chef Pam, is the Thai chef and restaurateur behind Potong, her 36-seat fine-dining flagship in Thailand’s capital city. Recently named the World’s Best Female Chef by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, she is the first Asian chef to win the title—the latest of many accolades she has earned since winning Les Disciples d’Escoffier’s Asia Youth Hope Cooking award in 2011.

Raised in Bangkok with Thai, Chinese, and Australian heritage, Chef Pam studied at the Culinary Institute of America, then honed her budding talent at Jean-Georges, the New York City flagship of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. There, his “philosophy of food” influenced her, she says. “It was eye-opening to see that Thai ingredients could combine with butter and cream and create new flavours with new complexities.”

Potong in Bangkok
This building that is now home to Potong once housed Chef Pam’s family’s herbal pharmacy. Photograph by DOF Sky/Ground.

It’s a lesson she’s applied to her growing empire of Bangkok restaurants, comprising Potong—No. 13 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list—which she opened in 2019 in the building that had been her family’s century-old pharmacy; Opium, a hidden bar in the same building; Khao San Sek, a casual Thai eatery; Tora, a Japanese izakaya; Smoked, for Texas-style barbecue; La Copita, a new agave bar; and her latest, Ra-O, a reimagined Thai grill. Here, she shares some of her other favourite places in and around Bangkok.

Eat

Chef Pam, Photo by Chris Shalkx
Chef Pam. Photograph by Chris Shalkx.

Sai Nam Phueng Noodle Shop: “Rung Rueang is my favourite noodle place, but everyone knows about it and it’s always busy. The other noodle place I love, Sai Nam Phueng, is very underrated and not as well known. It’s a simple, family-run place where everything is done well, especially noodles with stewed chicken wings. It’s addictive. I always have three bowls.”

Nusara: “My favourite Thai restaurant is right across from Wat Pho, and when you dine, you’re looking out onto the temple illuminated beautifully at night. My favourite dish is their take on pad krapow stir-fried beef with Thai holy basil, only they make it with short rib so it melts in your mouth.”

Visit

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Bangkok
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Photograph by Norbert Braun/Unsplash.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market: The famous floating market, just southwest of Bangkok, has become a huge tourist attraction, but Chef Pam recommends visiting if you want “to see how things were…when they [traded] on the canal.”

Song Wat Road: “This up-and-coming area in Chinatown, very close to Potong, has a lot of history. Centuries ago, it’s where boats and ships came to trade their goods. Today, the area has become very hip because a new generation that appreciates the history has converted old warehouses into cafés, galleries, and shops. Locals and tourists who appreciate the culture and heritage are coming. People don’t want to go to malls anymore; they want to see local coffee roasters and local chocolatiers. There’s a strong neighbourhood vibe—Song Wat was just named [one of] the coolest communities in the world.”

Koh Kret: “When someone visits me and wants to do something new, I take them to Koh Kret, a tiny island an hour from Bangkok, where they specialize in clay pottery and speak their own language. A one-minute boat ride across the river, it’s like a country within Thailand. We’ll go to Chit Beer, a craft brewery.”

Stay

BKK Social Club at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
BKK Social Club.

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River: “Every time I go to the hotel, I’m greeted by name. I feel the warmth. I love BKK Social Club, where [beverage manager] Philip Bischoff is so welcoming; he’s become a good friend. He comes to our bars, and I go to his. I don’t place an order—I have whatever he mixes for me. And Cafe Madeleine is also amazing: [executive pastry chef] Andrea Bonaffini’s pastries taste as good as they look.”

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River

A riverside resort in the heart of the city

Discover more