Zürich, January 9, 2013 – With the opening of a resort hotel in the popular Indian coastal state of Goa, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts will complement its global portfolio with an additional deluxe hotel. First guests are anticipated to be welcomed in the first quarter 2013.

The Swissôtel Goa is located in the town of Calangute which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in North Goa, only 16 kms from the capital city Panaji and within an hour’s drive from Goa’s international airport. The 135 guestrooms and suites are designed and proportioned among eight three level buildings, which are set within a tropical garden featuring idyllic lily ponds and a courtyard pool area. Rooms vary in size between 31 m and 72 m, depending on category, and feature modern design elements. An all-day dining restaurant, pool bar, cafe, fitness centre, adult and children’s pools, children’s club, as well as conference and banquet facilities will delight even the most discerning guests. The hotel will also have an exclusive beach club for its guests on Calangute beach. Designed by Malaysian Architects Chong Chee Ching and Greg Dall, the elements in the lobby and throughout the resort are accented by numerous works by the Indian artist Krishna Mehta are distributed throughout the resort which present modern and colourful design highlights. The most important night-life happenings and restaurants of North Goa are only a few minutes’ walk from Swissôtel Goa.

Goa is a former Portuguese administrated region and is India’s smallest state with a population of approximately 1.5 million. This year-round vacation destination with its famous cuisine and Portuguese influence provides inspiration with its endless beaches which have delighted tourists from around the world for many years. Goa is a one hour flight away from Mumbai and Bangalore and two hours from Delhi. “With the Swissôtel Goa, we are complementing our growing Indian hotel portfolio with an attractive holiday resort. With the already-opened Swissôtel Kolkata and the three Swissôtels under development in Mumbai, Noida and Bangalore, our portfolio on the Indian Subcontinent is growing continuously,” says Meinhard Huck, President of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. “We are pleased to cooperate in this project with Convention Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. and look forward to welcoming our first guests at Swissôtel Goa.”

”We are delighted to get this hotel underway as it marks the beginning of a long and close relationship that we wish to share with Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts,” said Priyakant Amin, Director of CHI - Convention Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. “We selected Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts to manage this prestigious property due to its reputation for delivering a contemporary luxury hospitality experience. We continue to develop our hospitality portfolio to create best-in-class properties with right partners by our side.”

About CHI - Convention Hotels India Private Limited
CHI is a hospitality development and ownership investment platform in India. The Company is extending its Hotel ownership presence with contemporary luxury hotels in key leisure destinations and cities across the country.

About Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts
Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts (www.swissotel.com) is an award winning and distinctive group of deluxe hotels, combining renowned Swiss hospitality with contemporary design, personalised service, charm and efficiency. Located in popular gateway destinations and city centres, the hotels provide convenient access to business and shopping districts. The group's Swiss heritage ensures organisational competence, attention to detail, safety and a superlative guest experience.

The international hotel chain is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with 102 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffled branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties.

Hotels under development: Sochi/Russia (2013), Bodrum/Turkey (2013 and 2014), Chengdu/China (2014), Bangalore/India (2014), Mumbai/India (2014),  and Kazan/Russia (2016).