Jan. 10, 2011--AMMAN -- Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced on Sunday plans to debut the first St. Regis Hotel in Jordan.

Owned by Al Maabar Abdoun Real Estate Development Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Al Maabar International Investments Abu Dhabi, The St. Regis Amman and The Residences at St. Regis Amman will be located in Abdoun District near the 5th Circle, according to a statement issued by the two companies yesterday.

According to Roeland Vos, the president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Jordan represents a key strategic growth market with diverse offerings that complement Starwood's range of brands.

"We are honoured to be working with Al Maabar as we debut our St. Regis brand in Jordan, underlining our confidence in the market as a luxury tourism destination and a regional corporate hub," he added.

Yousef Al Nowais, the managing director of Al Maabar International Investments, said the project to build the luxurious hotel is inline with Al Maabar's vision to respond to real market needs.

"Every aspect and detail of the project will exude allure and strongly affirm a sense of sophistication and elegance," he noted.

According to developers, excavation and construction work on the around $300 million project will start during the second quarter of this year, while the hotel is scheduled to start operational by 2014.

"What we are witnessing today as a key milestone for Al Maabar's Abdoun project is testament to the excellent relationships between United Arab Emmirates and Jordan as inspired by the great vision of the leaders of both countries," Nowais remarked.

With design concepts by New York-based Perkins Eastman Architects, The St. Regis Amman will feature 270 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, including 91 suites, four restaurants, a cafe, destination bar, pool and pool bar, fitness centre and signature spa.

The hotel will also comprise more than 2,800 square metres of ultra-modern meeting and event space, a business centre. The Residences at St. Regis Amman will include approximately 80 branded luxurious residences featuring two, three, four and five bedrooms as well as a dedicated lobby, pool, fitness centre and lounge, according to the statement.

This mixed-use development project will also include exclusive boutiques that will feature some of the most prominent international brands.They will be located on the podium level of the development, comprising approximately 25 high-end shops.

This project will extend the Starwood portfolio in Jordan, where the company currently operates Sheraton and Le Meridien hotels and has three additional properties in the pipeline. Starwood is scheduled to open four additional St. Regis hotels in the region in the next three years in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, said the statement.

Al Maabar Jordan Real Estate Development Company is also the developer of the $10 billion Marsa Zayed Project in Aqaba.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,025 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.

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