Petra is one of the major tourism attractions in Jordan

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with Ayla Oasis Development Company for a 286-room Hyatt Regency hotel in Aqaba, Jordan.

Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will be the first hotel to open within the prestigious Ayla development, a master-planned, multiphase development on the northern shores of Aqaba.

Expected to be operational in 2018, the hotel will mark the second Hyatt hotel in Jordan, joining Grand Hyatt Amman, and will join more than 150 Hyatt Regency hotels worldwide in locations from Chicago to Mumbai.

The hotel will further the Hyatt Regency brand’s mission of connecting guests to who and what matters to them most, with a range of amenities for work or play, as well as spaces that will make the hotel a go-to gathering place for any occasion.

Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will feature smartly designed standard rooms of 43m² and five food and beverage outlets offering creative cuisine.

The hotel’s location in the impressive Ayla development’s Marina Village, situated between the city center and the international borders, will offer guests a myriad of retail, dining and entertainment venues as well as 17km of newly created waterfront.

Guests will also enjoy Jordan’s first 18-hole golf course, designed by Greg Norman, and a 9-hole golf academy, that has been built as one of the most eco-friendly Greg Norman courses in the world Additionally, the hotel will be situated in close proximity to major tourist attractions such as Petra and Wadi Rum.

“Ayla is an incredibly exciting development, and we are delighted that Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will be the first hotel to open within the complex,” said Peter Norman, senior vice president, acquisitions and development for Hyatt – Europe, Africa, and Middle East.

“We look forward to welcoming guests to Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla, where they will find the Hyatt Regency brand’s authentic service, culinary experiences worth sharing and amenities to help them relax or stay productive. We are very pleased to work with the Ayla Oasis Development Company in support of its ambitious vision for the future of Aqaba.”

Ayla Oasis Development Company, AODC, was established in 2003 to develop the Ayla project and is playing a key role in transforming the Aqaba seaport into a world-class business hub and travel destination.