Wyndham Palau

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchisor with nearly 9,000 hotels and 20 powerhouse brands, unveiled a luxurious new resort with over-water villas in Palau, the pristine western Pacific island paradise, under its namesake Wyndham brand at a recent ground breaking ceremony.

Wyndham Palau is being developed by the Sea Sky International Development Group, a subsidiary of Global International Development Group. The resort is located in the unspoiled region of Aimeliik, which is home to spectacular natural landscapes, ancient villages and crystal clear seas teeming with colourful marine life.

Upon completion, this 593-key resort will offer a choice of beautifully-appointed accommodations, including 132 hotel guestrooms and over 400 villas, with some perched on stilts over the warm, shallow seas. These exotic rooms will be accompanied by other luxury villas nestled in the hillside and on the edge of the mangroves.

Wyndham Palau welcomes guests with a VIP lounge and offers an Executive Lounge - a private sanctuary featuring an array of additional amenities - for VIPs and Wyndham Rewards members. Guests can access two free-form pools surrounded by a large sun deck and shady cabanas, a children's pool, a kid's club and a serene wellness centre. The resort also includes a purpose-built conference centre with a wide variety of options for event planners, including a ballroom seating up to 140 guests and four meeting rooms for up to 60 people.

A collection of distinct F&B outlets will include a chic lobby lounge, beach bar and terrace, and pool bar. The resort's all-day dining pool restaurant will serve Asian and international cuisine throughout the day, with indoor and alfresco seating, while a specialty Chinese restaurant will create exquisite epicurean experiences, including the option of private dining rooms.

"With its tropical climate, rich history and pristine landscapes, Palau is a compelling proposition for international travellers," said Joon Aun OOI, President and Managing Director, South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "Wyndham Palau will break new ground in this beautiful country, becoming the first upscale international resort in the Aimeliik region."

"International visitor arrivals to Palau have jumped 50 percent since 2010, and the country remains an intriguing and appealing destination for many Asian travellers. With direct air links from key source markets such as Seoul and Taipei, the prospects for Palau's tourism industry - including the MICE sector - remain incredibly bright," Mr Ooi added.

Palau comprises more than 200 lush, jungle-clad islands in the western Pacific Ocean, about 1,500 kilometres east of the Philippines. While the country is small, its surrounding marine sanctuary is anything but; Palau's government has committed to protecting about 500,000 square kilometres of ocean - an area about the size of Thailand. This makes it a paradise for divers and snorkellers, with healthy reefs that house an abundance of marine life, including approximately 1,500 species of fish, sharks, rays, turtles and more. In fact, Palau's waters are so vibrant they have been dubbed the "Underwater Serengeti."

"We identified Aimeliik as the perfect place to open up a new frontier in Palau's tourism industry. Easily accessible from the Koror City and the airport, this is a stunning region with pure shores and lush natural landscapes. With the global support of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, one of the hotel industry's most famous and respected names, I am confident that our stunning new resort will mark the start of an exciting new era for Palau," commented Ms Selina Zhong, President, Global International Development Group.

Wyndham Palau will be located just 20 minutes' drive from the Palau International Airport and a short boat transfer from Koror, the country's main commercial centre. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts offers more than 120 properties in the South East Asia and Pacific Rim region, including 12 under the Wyndham flag.

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