Best Western International has embarked on the latest stage of its expansion in Saudi Arabia with the launch of its first hotel in the port city of Jizan.

The new Best Western Jazan Hotel becomes one of the first internationally-branded hotels in the city, which is located in the far southwest of the kingdom, overlooking the Red Sea.

“We are delighted to continue our expansion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing tourist economies,” said Ron Pohl, Best Western International’s senior vice president of brand management and member services.

“All across the country, business and leisure tourism is growing and the government is moving forward with large-scale infrastructure development projects.

“We expect this growth to continue for many years to come and I look forward to Best Western International being a major part of the Kingdom’s future development and success,” Pohl added.

The new hotel features a total of 52 midscale rooms, all with modern amenities including 40-inch LCD TVs, universal plug sockets and complimentary Wi-Fi.

The hotel also offers an array of facilities for both business and leisure travellers, including a restaurant, coffee shop, room service, a fitness centre and prayer room.

There is also a business centre and a function room capable of hosting meetings and small events for up to 30 people.

Following the opening of the Jizan hotel, Best Western now operates hotels in three  Saudi Arabian cities – Makkah, Al Khobar and Jizan.

And the company has significant expansion plans for the kingdom, with a pipeline that includes at least eight new properties across the country, covering all three of its brands – midscale Best Western, upscale Best Western Plus and luxury Best Western Premier.

Once this major period of expansion is complete, Best Western International will operate a total collection of 11 hotels with almost 1,500 rooms and suites in eight Saudi Arabian cities. - TradeArabia News Service