Rotana announced the signing of its first agreement in Iskenderun, Turkey, with Rhossos Tourism and Hospitality Ltd to manage the city resort 300-room Rhossos Rotana Resort and Serviced Apartments.

Strategically located in Iskenderun, the commercial centre of the heritage rich Hatay region, the hotel will be the first Rotana property to be managed in Turkey. The hotel is expected to open in 2014 and will feature a 200 meter private beach front, a Turkish spa & health club, a business centre, large wedding and banqueting facilities, swimming pool and a variety of Food & Beverage outlets.

In addition to the hotel and serviced apartments, the property will include a high-end retail destination, complementing the needs of the vibrant local community as well as the leisure and business visitors.

As a commercial and industrial key port city, Iskenderun attracts high numbers of visitors and overseas business travelers, particularly those from the industrial sectors. Tourist numbers in the Hatay region are also rising, with travelers seeking out the regions natural and cultural attractions including the Mediterranean sea-side, the Mountainous landscape, and significant historical and religious landmark heritage including the rock-carved Church of St. Peter, known as the first church of the world.

Selim El Zyr, President & CEO of Rotana (right) said, "Turkey has always been a very important market for Rotana and we aim to manage hotels in key locations within the country, marking our entry with the landmark Rhossos Rotana Iskenderun property. We are proud to have been chosen to manage this new jewel and our team is very excited about the opportunity to be working in Turkey. We are confident that we will introduce a new dimension of hospitality in the country ".
  
Nadin Karadag, Chairman of the Rhossos Tourism and Hospitality Ltd is delighted to work with Rotana, the leading hotel management company in the Middle East & Africa Region. Rhossos Tourism Company in association with Rotana are looking forward to creating an impressive landmark property for not only the region of Hatay, but also the country.

According to the tHDT (trivago Hotel Destination Trends 2011), Turkey as ranked consecutively amongst the top 10 most popular places to visit among all European travelers in summers for both years 2010 and 2011 and continuous to do so in 2012.

In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, a goal has been set to reach 70 million tourist arrivals to Turkey with US$80 billion by 2023.