Skip to main content

Bahrain hotel to accept cryptocurrency payments

Crypto continues to grow in Bahrain despite the global crash.

The Bitcoin logo is seen on a Coinstar cryptocurrency ATM at a grocery store in Washington, DC, on Jan. 19, 2023.
The Bitcoin logo is seen on a Coinstar cryptocurrency ATM at a grocery store in Washington, DC, on Jan. 19, 2023. — STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

A major hotel in the Bahraini capital, Manama, announced Sunday that it will start accepting payment in cryptocurrency. 

The beachside Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort signed an agreement with the Bahraini payment services firm EazyPay. Per the deal, EazyPay will provide Novotel with payment technology that can accept cryptocurrencies. EazyPay’s crypto payment services are enabled by the global crypto firm Binance’s mobile app, according to a press release. 

Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort appears to be the first hotel in the country to accept cryptocurrency payments. The Dubai hotels Palazzo Versace and The Manor by JA Hotel announced last year they would start taking payments in crypto. 

Why it matters: The Novotel announcement is the latest example of cryptocurrency’s growth in Bahrain. In December 2022, the Bahraini telecom operator stc Bahrain said it would start accepting cryptocurrency for payments. In November, Bahrain’s Carlton Real Estate said it would begin allowing crypto payments in partnership with CoinMENA. 

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish