StayWell Hospitality Group, which operates the Park Regis hotel brand, has formed a new strategic partnership to expand its portfolio in the Middle East.

The Australia-based company has joined forces with the Cristal Group to drive its regional growth, with a key focus on the UAE.

StayWell is now planning to open three hotels in Dubai; the Park Regis Business Bay and Park Regis Boutique Jumeirah in 2017, followed by the Leisure Inn Jumeirah in 2018. It also intends to launch the Park Regis Makkah in Saudi Arabia next year.

“We have been focused on StayWell’s international expansion for quite some time. This partnership will bring our combined portfolio to 13 hotels with approximately 2,600 rooms in the Middle East region,” said StayWell’s CEO, Simon Wan.

“This, coupled with the recently announced strategic partnership with the Manhatton Group in China, has significantly increased our global hotel network which is now in excess of 73 properties across Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, the United Kingdom, China and the Middle East.”

Under the terms of the agreement, StayWell will be able to use Cristal’s brand on hotels outside the Middle East, while Cristal can use StayWell’s brands on hotels located within the region. Cristal will also adopt key StayWell sales and marketing platforms and programmes.

Cristal’s CEO, Kamal Fakhoury, said he was optimistic about the potential for the partnership.

“With both groups now present in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Erbil, and with properties opening within the next 12 months in Amman, Abha, Riyadh and Makkah as well as further properties in Erbil and the UAE, the expansion plan is very healthy and we expect to increase the portfolio to 20 properties within the next five years,” he said.

“We are excited and very proud to forge a strategic alliance with such a well-known hotel company as StayWell, and we are looking forward to working as a team to achieve the combined proposed goals.”