Ramada Worldwide, a hotel chain owned and operated by Wyndham Worldwide, has signed an agreement to develop a 700-room five-star hotel in Makkah as part of its regional expansion plans.

The Ramada Plaza Makkah will be the 12th Ramada property within Saudi Arabia and the third in the holy city, said a senior executive.

The brand’s master licensee and developer in Saudi Arabia, Riyada International Hotels and Resorts Company signed the agreement with Tadawul Al Jezeera Real Estate Company and Al Masa Hotel Management Company for the hotel scheduled to open in early 2011.

“The new hotel will complement our strong presence in Saudi Arabia and in Makkah specifically,” said Muhammad Al Amir, managing director of Riyada International Hotels and Resort. “Visitors on their annual Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage will be able to enjoy Ramada hospitality in three locations in the Holy City,” he remarked.

Waleed Abu Sabaa, managing director of Al Masah Hotel Management Company, said, “Our strategic alliance with Wyndham Hotel Group’s Ramada brand has provided us with a unique offering for our clients and guests. This is our 6th Ramada property and we look forward to working on future projects with the Ramada brand.”

Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, encompasses more than 7,000 hotels and 590,000 rooms under its 11 brands in 65 countries.-TradeArabia News Service