Best Western International announced a partnership with Fort Hotels Group Ltd to open the luxury Best Western Premier hotel in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Due to open in 2014, the new 720 room luxury hotel in Cox’s Bazar will rise on the world’s longest white sand beach.

Best Western International’s vice president of international operations (Asia and the Middle East), Mr. Glenn de Souza, and Fort Marino Hotel & Artisan Group’s managing director, architect Sayeed Parvez Reza Latif, introduced details of the project at a launching ceremony held at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on August 8, 2010.

The event started with the project launching session by the honorable guest Mr. G M Quader, the minister for tourism & civil aviation, Mr. Shafique Alam Mehdi, the secretary of ministry civil aviation & tourism and Ms. Sandra J. Ingram, the acting deputy chief of US embassy of Bangladesh. VIP guests in attendance include Mr. Abu Reza Khan and Mr. Mohammad Liaqat Ali – members of the board of investment, Mr. Abdul Gafur – executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh and Mr. Nasrul Hamid MP – the president of REHAB.

Targeting a wide range of family vacationers to large corporate conferences, the property’s facilities will include four restaurants and two juice bars, three swimming pools, world-class health centre and beauty services, spa, bowling track, theatre hall, mini golf, tennis court, board room, seminar room, business centre and two grand banquet halls with capacity for 3,000 guests. With state-of-the-art eco-friendly technology, green architecture and carbon-neutral establishment, the hotel is designed to offer utmost safety and security against any natural disasters.

“The partnership between Best Western International and Fort Hotels Group will position Best Western as the largest international hotel group in Cox’s Bazar. The chain’s strong sales and marketing network and extensive distribution channels will be instrumental in bringing international guests to the destination and boosting Bangladesh’s national tourism industry” said Mr. de Souza.

The addition of this hotel marks the arrival of the chain’s luxury Best Western Premier brand in the country and is part of Best Western’s key strategy to expand the presence in Bangladesh. Best Western’s growth will add the chain’s world-renowned hospitality to Bangladesh’s tourist appeal, along with its expertise in hospitality and tourism marketing.