Regent Hotels to double worldwide portfolio within two years

In the Middle East, Regent will open its first resort property in Dubai. The Regent Dubai, Canal Point will be a landmark hotel in the emirate with its unique architecture inspired by the Asian lotus flower. The property will be between The Palm, Jumeirah and Jebel Ali Free Zone and will be part of a new residential development. The first 17 floors will have up to 250 luxurious guestrooms, with the largest being the Presidential Suite. There will be a total of 250 serviced apartments, also managed by Rezidor SAS Hospitality.

"Regent is a name synonymous with superior quality and luxury. It's a brand that the Middle East will easily identify with and it's the right time to enter this fast growing market,"

said Kurt Ritter, CEO and President Rezidor SAS Hospitality.

Regent Hotels currently has a total of six properties worldwide in Berlin, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Zagreb.

"Although a major proportion of our business comes from the United States and Great Britain, we are seeing an increase in guests from the Middle East particularly from Qatar and the UAE. This clearly shows that the Gulf region is recognising the Regent brand," said Wolfgang Nitschke, General Manager, The Regent Berlin. Nitschke has almost two decades of luxury hotel industry experience having worked in over 15 countries including Dubai's Burj-Al-Arab and London's Dorchester.

"We are now targeting the leisure sector from Bahrain and will continue to tap into business travellers from other parts of the region," added Nitschke.

The Regent Berlin houses 156 luxurious rooms, which are among the largest in the historical city, and 39 suites as well as a top floor presidential suite. The property also recently expanded its meeting and conference facilities. It currently has 10 rooms for meetings and events for up to 250 people.

Other future Regent developments include properties in Bangkok, Beijing and Ningbo in China, Dubrovink, Croatia and South Beach and Boston in the U.S.