Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, a leading brand in the FRHI Hotels & Resorts portfolio, today announced that the brand has entered into a franchise agreement for branding the operation of Swissôtel Guayaquil.

The new 300-room hotel is currently under development in the largest and most populous city in Ecuador, Guayaquil.

Set on the western bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil, Swissôtel Guayaquil will offer guests enjoyable river views and access to the nation’s main port.

The hotel will be located at Malecón Simón Bolívar, between Roca, Panama and Luzarraga.

The city is the capital of the Ecuadorian province of Guayas and the seat of the namesake canton.

Expected to open in 2017, Swissôtel Guayaquil will join one other Swissôtel property already successfully operating in Ecuador, Swissôtel Quito, further expanding Swissôtel’s presence in this burgeoning travel market.

Establishing itself as an important part of the city, the current design for the complex features 180 high-end residences, a parking facility with 650 spaces and ground floor retail space for seven outlets.

“Guayaquil is an ideal market for Swissôtel expansion, being the largest city in the country and acting as one of the commercial centres of Ecuador,” said Kevin Frid, president, FRHI Americas.

“In addition to the rapid growth of the local economy, which is the eighth largest in Latin America, the city is also an emerging destination for leisure travellers given its revitalized squares and parks as well as its rich cultural history.”

Situated at sea level, Guayaquil is home to Ecuador’s largest seaport where in addition to being the launch place of many of the tours of the Galapagos Islands, the majority of the country’s imports and exports are handled.

The city is the industrial and commercial centre of Ecuador, but also offers tourist attractions including the Las Peñas district featuring picturesque wooden houses from colonial Guayaquil, as well as project “Malecón 2000”, a riverside project offering a mall and a park with historical monuments, historic churches, several museums, the Botanical Gardens and Parque Bolivia.