CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group has announced two new hotels in Saudi Arabia. The Park Inn by Radisson Riyadh Olaya will feature 168 rooms and will open in Q1 2014 while the Radisson Blu Resort Jizan, featuring 160 rooms, will welcome the first guests in Q1 2015.

Both properties are joint projects between Carlson Rezidor as the operator and the Saudi Arabian Al Hokair Group as the owner. The existing hotel in Riyadh will undergo a renovation programme.

“We are delighted to further strengthen our steadily growing portfolio in the Middle East together with such a powerful and experienced partner like Al Hokair, and thank our partners for their trust”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, president and CEO of Rezidor.

The mid-market Park Inn by Radisson Riyadh Olaya is located in the heart of the kingdom’s capital, between the main King Fahed and Olaya Roads, 35 km south of King Khaled International Airport, Saudi Arabia’s largest air facility. The hotel is within close proximity to major offices, ministries and landmarks, as well as the high-end retail and commercial district of Olaya. As well as 164 comfortable rooms including 50 suites, the property offers bar and restaurant facilities, 700 sq m of meeting space, as well as a 300 sq m wellness and gym area.

The upper upscale Radisson Blu Resort Jizan is Carlson Rezidor’s first project in Jizan, one of Saudi Arabia’s major shipping ports on the Red Sea. The full service hotel will be located on the Jizan Waterfront, off the Makkah and Corniche Roads Roundabout. It will be only 3km away from the city centre and 5 km from Jizan’s regional airport. The area surrounding the hotel and the entire city are witnessing major developments, including an oil refinery development spear-headed by Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil and gas company. The Radisson Blu Resort Jizan will include 150 contemporary rooms with signature services such as free high speed internet access, an all-day dining restaurant, a lobby cafe, almost 3,000 sq m of meeting and event facilities including two ballrooms, as well as wellness facilities with an outdoor pool.