Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a management agreement with Chatan Hotel and Resort Corporation to manage Hilton Okinawa Chatan in central Chatan, Okinawa, Japan.

The agreement signals the re-entry of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand to Okinawa and marks Hilton Worldwide's 11th property in the country. Scheduled to open in 2014, the 346-room Hilton Okinawa Chatan is located in Mihama, facing the Mihama American Village which is one of the largest shopping complexes in Okinawa.

"This agreement is a significant milestone for us as it represents the Hilton brand's entry into Okinawa and our 11th property in Japan. Okinawa hosts nearly 5.5 million visitors a year and tourism contributes to close to USD 5 billion annually. Backed by a strong partner like Orix Real Estate Corporation, we are confident that Hilton Okinawa Chatan will compete well with the existing international and local hotel supply," said Andrew Clough, senior vice president, development, Middle East & Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide.

"Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a global leader of hospitality and Hilton Okinawa Chatan represents another important new chapter for our brand's rapidly-growing collection in Asia Pacific and adds to the existing eight Hilton-branded properties as we celebrate our 50th anniversary in Japan next year. This hotel will deliver the world-class hospitality synonymous with our brand and Hilton Worldwide," said Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

The nine-story Hilton Okinawa Chatan is approximately 20 kilometers away from Naha International Airport, and known as an urban resort and other large shopping complexes. Close to Chatan Park and Sunabe/Sunset Beach, hotel guests can enjoy impressive views of the sunset as well as various activities including shopping, scuba diving and surfing. Chatan also offers ideal access to a variety of sightseeing spots including Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa National Ocean Park, Kokusai Street and Shuri Castle.

The hotel will offer one all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a lobby lounge. It will also have a full service spa and fitness gym, indoor and outdoor pools, a 530-square meter function room and a 120-square meter meeting room, a business center, retail shops and car park facilities.

Throughout the year, Okinawa enjoys a stable inflow of domestic leisure and corporate travelers. While the information technology industry is a core driver of economic growth, tourism is Okinawa's largest industry. It has also seen increasing incentive trips from mainland Japan and surrounding countries thanks to strong support from the Okinawa government for the promotion of the prefecture as a meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) destination,  as evidenced by the recent establishment of the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau.