Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has signed an agreement to operate the first Wyndham brand hotel in the Middle East in Riyadh. The 210-room, 15-story upscale hotel to be developed by Rayada Investment Company will be part of the prestigious King Abdullah Financial District. It is expected to open during the third quarter of 2011.

Eric Danziger, Wyndham Hotel Group president and chief executive officer, signed the management agreement with Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Kherashi, chairman of Rayada Investment Company and governor of the Saudi Public Pension Agency, which will own the hotel. "The Wyndham Riyadh project underscores the continued global appreciation of the Wyndham brand among travelers, as well as hotel owners and developers," Danziger said. "The Middle East is the logical next step for the Wyndham brand's growth and we are excited to fill a need in one of the most important destinations in the region and in the world." The Wyndham Riyadh-King Abdullah Financial District will feature the first Blue Harmony Spa and Fitness Experience in the Middle East as well as 11 meeting rooms totaling 13,164 sq ft, four restaurants totaling 22,034 sq ft, four lounges totaling 12,174 sq ft, outdoor pool, beauty salon and business center. As the first hotel to be developed as part of the King Abdullah Financial District, the Wyndham Riyadh will serve a community of professionals who work in Saudi Arabia's financial sector and related businesses. The district will host the headquarters of the Capital Market Authority, the stock exchange, banks, financial institutions, accounting and law firms, rating agencies, consultancies and IT providers.

Al Kharashi said his firm selected the Wyndham brand because of its experience, management, flexibility and value. "Partnering with the world's largest hospitality company to offer a spectacular hotel is clearly aligned with our business objectives and the growing demand from the business and corporate travel segment here. We are pleased to develop the first Wyndham hotel in Saudi Arabia and we are proud to do so in an environmentally responsible way," he said. \The project will be constructed to energy-saving and environmental standards specified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, more commonly known as Leed.

The hotel inventory will include 129 king-bed rooms, 42 double-doubles, 23 executive rooms, 13 junior suites, two presidential suites and a royal suite. Each room will feature touchless electronic door locks for enhanced security, marble floors, granite countertops, oversized marble bathrooms with rain showers, bathroom mirror televisions and room management systems to control lighting, television, audio and air conditioning. In-room amenities will include wireless Internet service, 42-inch, interactive flat-panel televisions, Blu-ray Disc players, minibars, safes where laptop computers can be charged while secured, artwork, mood lighting and music systems with iPod connections. The hotel will include all-day dining featuring two "open kitchens" that allow guests to observe the culinary staff at work, an Italian-style restaurant, rooftop Argentinean-style grill and Wyndham Lounge and indoor-outdoor coffee shop. The lobby lounge also will feature indoor and outdoor seating. The hotel will be located less than five minutes from major shopping malls and Riyadh's central business district and about a 15-minute drive to King Khalid International Airport.