Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc is one of the world’s largest owned-and-managed hotel companies with more than 120 properties across Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Middle East and Africa. The group has a portfolio of brands which serve different market segments, representing quality and value in every class. In the Middle East and Africa, Millennium & Copthorne operates 12 hotels, increasing to 52 hotels over the next 3 years. It has a growing portfolio of brands that resonate with the markets in which it operates. These brands include Grand Millennium, Millennium, Copthorne, Kingsgate and the recently launched exclusive destination brand, Biltmore.

With the motto “you are the centre of our world”, Millennium & Copthorne is committed to a customer-centric philosophy, while ensuring returns for investors and owners.

In a news release, Singapore's leading hotel group Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, a subsidiary of listed property giant City Developments Limited, announced that it has signed contracts to manage 11 hotels across key locations in the oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and one 5-star hotel in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia,in a region sandwiched between western Asia and eastern Europe.

M&C said in a statement on Friday that it has signed contracts to manage a 220-room five-star hotel in Tbilisi which is expected to welcome guests by mid-2014.

The M&C hotels are all at different stages of development, with three hotels opening in 2012 and the rest opening within the next three years. The other Saudi cities on the hotel group’s list include two hotels in Medina, Riyadh, Baha, Hail City, Jazan, and Tabouk. The hotel in Riyadh will offer 650 rooms, making it a significant new hotel in the capital city.

In Tbilisi, a new 220-room 5-star hotel on Rustaveli Avenue, the city’s main avenue, will open its doors by mid-2014. This will be M&C’s first foray into the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe. The hotel will occupy the former Imeli building and will maintain its historic appearance with an adjacent new glass tower of 29 floors added to form part of the hotel complex. It will offer a luxury health club and spa, meeting rooms, banquet hall and food and beverage outlets.

Tbilisi, the largest city of Georgia, is situated on the banks of the Kura River. Located near the Southeastern edge of Europe, Tbilisi’s proximity to lucrative East-West trade routes often made the city a point of contention between various rival empires throughout history. The city’s location still ensures its position as an important transit route for global energy and trade projects. Tbilisi’s varied history is reflected in its architecture, which is a mix of medieval, classical and Soviet structures.

Mr. Kwek Leng Beng, Chairman of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc, said: “While there is much attention to Middle East politics, we should not lose sight of the business and economic opportunities the region holds. The region has seen higher trade growth rate, compared to global trade rate, for some time now and is forecast to see equally good trade growth in the next five years. We have been growing our hotels’ footprint rapidly there. We will continue to serve the needs of companies and travellers visiting and looking for opportunities in this strategic market and other emerging markets.”

Source:www.straitstimes.com;www.sbr.com.sg;www.prlog.org