Brussels, Belgium ? Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has signed an agreement with Bahria Town, one of Asia?s largest real estate developers, to manage a world-class golf resort and a first-rate hotel in Islamabad, both under the auspices of its iconic Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand.
Sheraton Islamabad Golf City Resort and Sheraton Islamabad Lakeview Hotel are anticipated to open between 2012 and 2013.
Sheraton Islamabad Golf City Resort will be the first internationally-branded golf resort in Pakistan and will comprise a 377-room luxury hotel that includes 15 serviced apartments.
It will also feature 3,200m2 of state-of-the-art meeting space and a choice of five restaurants and bars, as well as a high-tech gym, fully-serviced spa and a number of beautifully designed outdoor swimming pools.
Guests will have full access to the onsite 18-hole golf course and Sheraton Golf & Country Club. The entire Sheraton Golf City Resort will form part of a high-security, gated-access, mixed-use development, Golf City, which will be located along the newly-opened Muree Expressway.
The Sheraton Islamabad Lakeview Hotel will be built along Muree Road, the main access road between Islamabad city center and the capital?s international airport, and will offer stunning views of Lake Rawal and the spectacular parkland that surrounds it.
Guests will find themselves right next door to the prestigious Islamabad Golf Club and only a short distance from the Diplomatic Enclave and Islamabad International Conference Centre, making the hotel the ideal venue for business travelers and tourists alike.
The stylish 220-room hotel will be housed in a soaring purpose-built tower and will offer 1,200 m2 of meeting space, replete with the latest technology, as well as three remarkable food and beverage outlets, a well-appointed gym and a splendid outdoor swimming pool.
The hotels are being designed by Beame Architectural Partnership, Florida, a recognized design award winning firm with the orientation of International Project Managers and Hotel Consultants – Colin Evans Associates.
These professionals have created more than 150 first class resorts and hotels worldwide.
?Our focus is to find the right partners and work with them on the right properties, in the right places,? says Roeland Vos, President for Europe, Africa & Middle East.
?We are delighted to be working with Bahria Town and would like to thank them for giving us the opportunity to make a landmark entry, with our iconic Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand, into the important city of Islamabad.?
?Bahria Town is building the new face of Pakistan as we continue to develop lifestyle destinations. Our vision is to work with the best partners and invest in high-end assets in key destinations throughout Pakistan,? says Malik Riaz Hussain, Chairman of Bahria Town, Asia?s largest private master developer.
?Islamabad is an expanding city with a growing need for world class facilities and services. We believe that Sheraton Islamabad Golf City Resort and Sheraton Islamabad Lakeview Hotel will add real value to both visitors and the local community, ushering in a new level of upscale hotel accommodation into the city.?
Sheraton Islamabad Golf City and Sheraton Islamabad Lakeview Hotel expand Starwood?s presence in Pakistan, currently represented by the 407-room Sheraton Karachi Hotel in the country?s largest city, main seaport and financial capital.
The projects also formally mark the expansion of Bahria Town into the Hospitality Sector in Pakistan.
The two properties are set to revolutionize the hospitality industry in Pakistan and provide a much needed boost to travel and tourism in the country.