Thailand’s Dusit International has continued to expand its global footprint with the signing of its first hotel in Bangladesh.

Scheduled to open by the end of 2017, the DusitPrincess Dhaka will operate under the hotel group’s new franchising model, as part of a long-term agreement with Lakeshore Hotels.

Located in the north of the Bangladeshi capital, only five minutes’ drive from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the new property is being marketed as an “upper-midscale business hotel”. It will feature 80 rooms and 10 suites over 13 floors, plus a restaurant, a “grab n’ go” F&B outlet, a meeting room and rooftop swimming pool.

“DusitPrincess Dhaka presents us with a fantastic opportunity to showcase our new franchise model in a robust hotel market,” said Lim Boon Kwee, Dusit’s chief operating officer. “Dynamic partnerships such as this are vital to Dusit’s sustainable and profitable growth worldwide.”

Lakeshore Hotels has been in the hotel industry for 15 years and currently operates two upper-midscale hotels in Dhaka under the Lakeshore brand.

“Our capacity to supervise hotel operations has grown significantly in recent years and we are pleased Dusit has recognised those capacities on our side,” said Kazi Tareq Shams, the company’s managing director. “To operate our upcoming hotel under the renowned DusitPrincess brand is a real honour and we have every confidence it will be a resounding success.”

Dusit currently operates 29 properties in eight countries, with a further 51 projects in the pipeline and due to open within the next three years. These include new properties in other South Asian countries including Sri Lanka and Bhutan.