Starwood To Operate Two Luxury Hotels In Jordan

AQABA, JORDAN— Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is expanding its portfolio in the Middle East with a deal to operate two luxury resorts in Jordan. Under the agreement, the Westin Aqaba Resort will be managed by Starwood’s Westin brand while the Al-Manara hotel will join Starwood’s Luxury Collection. The agreement is part of Jordan’s Sarays Aqaba project, a real estate development plan to transform Aqaba into a major tourist destination on the Red Sea. The Westin Aqaba Resort, located on the shores of Saraya Aqaba’s man-made lagoon, is a beachfront resort with 300 rooms. The resort includes four main restaurants with terraces overlooking gardens and the waterfront, and outdoor recreational facilities including two swimming pools and a private beach. The Al-Manara hotel features richly detailed traditional architecture and is positioned at the mouth of the lagoon. The hotel has 200 guestrooms; three main restaurants with waterfront views; specialty shops; a health club; spa; and recreational facilities including swimming pools and private beaches facing both the Gulf of Aqaba and the Saraya lagoon. Located on the western tip of Aqaba, the Saraya Aqaba project will add approximately one mile of beachfront to the Gulf of Aqaba. The planned development will combine shopping, dining, entertainment, accommodations and cultural activities within an authentically styled ancient city built around a man-made lagoon. The approximate total cost of the project is US$995.7 million, with a total construction cost of US$700 million. Saraya Aqaba will features six luxury hotels including the Westin Aqaba Resort and the Al-Manara, which Starwood will manage, and three which will be operated by Jumeirah, a Dubai-based hospitality group.