The opening of the 210-room hotel marks a milestone for the Hyatt Place brand as it continues to expand outside the United States.

　    Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hospitality, a subsidiary of Asset Management, have announced the opening of Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga, the first Hyatt Place hotel in the Middle East and the fourth Hyatt-branded hotel in Dubai.

　　The opening of the 210-room hotel marks a milestone for the Hyatt Place brand as it continues to expand outside the United States. Hyatt Place hotels have recently opened in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Armenia, and The Netherlands, as well as throughout the United States.

　　Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga offers:

　　210 roomy rooms, all of which feature a swiveling 42-inch HDTV, plush Hyatt Grand Bed and Cozy Corner with sectional sofa-sleeper

　　Free Wi-Fi everywhere

　　Free Gallery Kitchen Breakfast for guests served daily, featuring hot breakfast items, a variety of fresh fruits, hot and cold cereal, yogurt, breads, premium coffee and an assortment of juices

　　More than 2,500 square feet of flexible, high-tech meeting/function space

　　24/7 Gallery Menu serving made-to-order entrees and apps around the clock

　　A Coffee to Cocktails Bar featuring specialty coffees, premium house beverages and cocktails

　　A Gallery Café featuring sit-down dining for lunch and dinner hours

　　Hyatt Place Dubai/Al Rigga is part of a mixed use development established by wasl properties, making it the latest addition to wasl's portfolio of hotels. The project is in line with the United Arab Emirates' new government directives/policies to develop mid-range hotels in an effort to diversify Dubai's hospitality and tourism offering.

　　Starwood expands in China with the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan

　　Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in partnership with Greenland Group announced the debut of Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan - the first Four Points hotel to open in the capital of Anhui Province. Starwood Hotels' Four Points brand currently has 22 hotels across Greater China and expects to double its portfolio in this market by 2018.

　　The new hotel is located within the city's new political, economic, commercial and cultural center - Hefei New Municipal and Cultural District. The hotel overlooks Swan Lake and is convenient to office buildings, shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment, as well as Hefei Municipal Government offices, Hefei Olympic Sports Center, Hefei Grand Theater and Anhui Broadcast and Television Center. Guests are just 14 miles from the heart of downtown, five miles from the Hefei high-speed Rail Station, and one hour by high-speed train to Nanjing.

　　The hotel features 271 sophisticated guest rooms and suites, and perks such as complimentary bottled water, fast and free WiFi throughout the property, and fresh coffee in the lobby, in addition to a range of cuisine at its three restaurants and offers 12 private dining rooms, with the largest one accommodating up to 20 guests. At the end of a day of sightseeing or business meetings, guests can choose from a wide selection of local and imported craft beers in the Lounge, as part of the brand's signature Best Brews program.

　　Four Points offers 17,599 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space for up to 1,000 people. In addition, the hotel provides on-site catering services and has implemented Starwood's Sustainable Meetings Practices to minimize environmental impact. Additional facilities include a spa, fitness center, indoor heated swimming pool and gaming room.

　　Four Points by Sheraton Hefei, Shushan is the first Four Points hotel to open in China in 2014 and will be followed by six more over the next 12 months. Four Points boasts Starwood's second largest development pipeline in China, following Sheraton, which has laid the groundwork for Four Points' rapid growth across the region.

　　New Hilton for Saaidyat Island, Abu Dhabi

　　Hilton Worldwide is set to strengthen its presence in the UAE following the signing of a management agreement with long standing associates, Bin Otaiba Investment Group, to introduce a new Hilton Hotels & Resorts hotel to Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island.

　　The 366-room new-build Hilton Abu Dhabi Saadiyat Island Resort will enjoy a prime location at Saadiyat Beach, one of seven distinct districts making up Saadiyat Island, a planned 27-km island development off the coast of the UAE capital, dedicated to fine living, culture and nature conservation. The hotel is due to open end of 2015.

　　Guests can enjoy a wealth of dining and leisure options including nine different restaurants and bars, a wide range of event and meeting facilities, a health club, an outdoor pool and an eforea: Spa at Hilton, Hilton Worldwide's exclusive spa brand designed to blend distinctive holistic treatments with specialist products sourced from natural resources.

　　Swiss-Belhotel expands in Malaysia with new property in Kuantan

　　Global hospitality management company Swiss-Belhotel International has added another property to its burgeoning portfolio after signing a memorandum of understanding to manage Swiss-Belhotel Kuantan, Malaysia.

　　The 334-room property will be part of a mixed waterfront development that will include retail shopping, a commercial district and a business park. The hotel's facilities will include restaurants, a ballroom and meeting facilities, a business centre, swimming pool and water park, sky deck and lounge, plus gym, spa and Jacuzzi.

　　News of the four-star property's conception follows a spate of recent hotel and resort launch announcements from the Hong Kong based company, which is expanding throughout the Asia-Pacific and Middle East while eyeing other parts of the world.

　　The hotel management company will extend its range of two- to five-star brands into markets that include the Middle East, where the Swiss-Belhotel Seef in Bahrain, Swiss-Belinn Ghubrah Muscat in Oman will be opened this year and join the existing Swiss-Belhotel Plaza in Kuwait and Qatar's Swiss-Belhotel Doha. In 2015, Swiss-Belhotel Erbil in Iraq and Saudi Arabia's Swiss-Belhotel Riyadh will open.

　　Indonesia is the country where Swiss-Belhotel International has the biggest presence. It operates 39 hotels there, with 15 more coming in 2014 including a 5-star hotel - Ciputra World Surabaya. The company's Indonesian portfolio will contain 97 hotels and resorts within two years, where Swiss-Belhotel International has been voted Indonesia's Leading Global Hotel Chain at the Indonesian Travel and Tourism Awards the past four years.

　　Alya Hotels & Resorts to open a second property in Al Ain

　　Ayla Hotels and Resorts has announced its second hotel in Al Ain will open next month (June). The Ayla Bawadi Hotel, a four-star property, will have 90 rooms and suites and target both business and leisure travelers in Abu Dhabi's second city.

　　Speaking at Arabian Travel Market, Mohamed Soussan, General Manager of Ayla Hotels and Resorts said the main focus of the group would be to increase awareness of Al Ain as a destination and Ayla as a brand.

　　"To attract more visitors to our Green Oasis, the Ayla Bawadi Hotel has been carefully designed to reflect the local tradition in modern style," he said. "Together with the camel market, Central Souq and Bawadi Mall, Ayla Bawadi Hotel will complement this bustling spot with its accommodation, dining facilities, rooftop swimming pool and meeting rooms.

　　Conveniently located next to the luxurious Bawadi Mall, the alcohol-free hotel features three food and beverage outlets, Pulse Health Club and two meeting rooms.

　　New Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel opens in Harvey, Louisiana

　　Hampton Hotels, has opened its newest property, the 83-room Hampton Inn & Suites Harvey, located at 1651 5th Street in Harvey, La. The hotel is owned by Harvey Hotel Investments, LLC and managed by BN Management. This is the 20th Hampton hotel in the state.

　　The hotel is located just 10 minutes away from the French Quarter of New Orleans, where visitors can enjoy restaurants, museums, galleries and a world-renowned live music scene. Additionally, business travelers will appreciate the hotel's close proximity to the Louis Armstrong International Airport, less than 30 minutes away via Interstate 10.

　　Guest rooms are equipped with modern amenities designed to help guests feel at home and stay productive, including a microwave, refrigerator, 42-inch LED TV and Clean and Fresh Hampton Bed. Inviting suites are also available, offering additional space and a comfortable sleeper sofa. The new hotel also features Hampton's Perfect Mix Lobby, designed with a variety of seating and lighting options for both leisure and business travelers as an extension of the guestroom.

　　Hampton Hotels fosters a unique culture of hospitality - called "Hamptonality." This term describes each hotel's approach to friendly customer service, anticipating guests' needs and providing travelers with helpful suggestions about area attractions, historical facts and fun things do around town. Additionally, hotels are infused with local photography and art work, highlighting each property's connection and support to its own community.

　　Fibra Inn buys Hotel Mexico Plaza Silao to convert to Wyndham Garden

　　Fibra Inn, a Mexican real estate investment trust specializing in the hotel industry serving the business traveler, announced the acquisition of Hotel Mexico Plaza Silao, in the state of Guanajuato, which will be the fourth hotel to be converted to Wyndham Garden.

　　The acquisition price, was Ps. 80 million, plus Ps. 11.2 million in order to pay taxes and expenses related to the acquisition. Fibra Inn's internal committees approved the purchase of this property, at a projected cap rate of 10%. The acquisition was paid with a second temporary credit line contracted with Banorte, which is expected to be refinanced once the Company formalizes the contract, currently under negotiation. This is a temporary credit line of Ps. 500 million, at a TIIE rate of 2.5 points, for 180 days and without commission.

　　The conversion to the Wyndham Garden Brand is expected to conclude by the last quarter of 2014. This property has 143 rooms, will operate under the limited service segment; and will be supervised by Fibra Inn under a sub-management structure with the current Hotel Operator.

　　During 2013, occupancy was 31%, with and average daily rate of Ps. 586.2 and RevPar of Ps. 181.7.

　　With this acquisition, Fibra Inn has 23 hotels in its portfolio, plus three under development, with a total of 4,644 rooms, of which 3,746 are currently in operation.