Regent International Hotels Expands Into the Caribbean with The Regent Resort at Palmas del Mar in Puerto Rico

Regent International Hotels, today announced the addition of The Regent Resort in Puerto Rico at Palmas del Mar, Regent's first hotel in the Caribbean. The new hotel was announced by Paul Hanley, President of Regent International Hotels, Gil de Botton, Managing Director of The Talon Group, Inc., and Alfredo Salazar, President of Palmas del Mar properties.

The 113-room hotel including 73 suites and villas is scheduled to open in late 2001 under Regent management on the site of the famous Palmas Inn. The resort is located 46 miles (74 kms) east of San Juan on the eastern shore of Puerto Rico, and will offer its guests all the amenities and services of a luxury Regent resort.

The Regent's spectacular beachfront location is the premier feature of the 3,000 acre Palmas Resort which overlooks the Caribbean on the southeast end of the island of Puerto Rico. It hugs a long, lush, sloping hillside and three miles (4.8 kms) of sandy beach. The Regent Resort, which is undergoing a US$60 million expansion, will be one of several hotels within Palmas del Mar.

"When complete, The Regent Resort will provide the intimacy of a small exclusive hotel with the distinctive service of Regent. It is a melding of the warmth and beauty of the local area with global luxury standards, a hospitality experience that is genuine and personalised," Mr Hanley said.

He continued, "This resort plays a significant role as we continue to expand Regent International Hotels and enter the Caribbean market with this exceptional property." Mr de Botton added, "By combining The Talon Group's extensive development experience in the Caribbean with the luxury positioning of a Regent International Hotel, The Regent and its surrounding development promise to achieve a level of sophistication rarely seen in the region."

The Regent's design will reflect a Mediterranean village, complete with stucco and tile roofs, that provides a consistent architectural theme throughout the Resort. Each of its guest accommodations, from guest rooms to two-bedroom villas, will be spacious - ranging from 575 to 908 square feet (51 - 81 sq.mtrs) - and will be exceptionally well appointed.

Guestroom amenities will include fully equipped kitchens and bar, cable television, WebTV, 24-hour room service, twice-daily housekeeping, complete laundry service, and 24-hour concierge services.

The hotel will also feature a full-service spa, three restaurants, 3,000 square feet (270 sq.mtrs) of meeting space, a casino, three swimming pools and a beach bar. Also available within the Palmas del Mar Resort are 18 restaurants; 21 tennis courts (the largest tennis complex in the Caribbean); two 18-hole championship golf courses, one designed by Reese Jones, and the other by Pete Dye, with guaranteed tee times for golf enthusiasts; and a 350-slip marina, the largest private marina in Puerto Rico.

"In addition to The Regent Resort at Palmas del Mar, recent openings for Regent include The Regent Almaty in oil-rich Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet Republics along the Ancient Silk Road; The Regent Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in India's most important city; The Regent Las Vegas, an exceptional golf and spa resort just minutes from the Strip; and The Regent Wall Street, New York, which has made history as the first hotel ever on a street known worldwide as the epicentre of international finance," Mr Hanley said.

Regent International Hotels has established a global leadership position in the luxury hotel and resort industry by offering premier locations, elegant facilities and personalised service to the world's most discerning travellers.

Regent International Hotels is part of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, a global leader in hospitality services encompassing more than 1,250 hotel, resort, restaurant and cruise ship operations in 77 countries. Thirteen Regent hotels and resorts are located throughout Asia Pacific, Central Asia and the United States with several under construction or development. In 1999, Regent hotel openings included The Regent Mumbai (Bombay), India; The Regent Las Vegas and The Regent Wall Street, New York.