These ground-up construction projects are slated for completion  by mid-2003. The $14 million Crowne Plaza Hotel in  Santiago, on the island’s rich Cibao valley, will break ground this spring .  The 200-room property designed by renowned architect Alan Lapidus on New York,  is located on Autopista Duarte and Avenida Rafael Vidal  in the city’s commercial district.  It will include 1,000 square meters state of the art  meeting facility , two restaurants, and dedicated parking, as well as a casino.

The Crowne Plaza in Santo Domingo will be a 22-story tower located on Santo Domingo’s famed seaside boulevard (El Malecon), and will anchor a mixed-use complex that includes the hotel, a retail shopping mall, commercial office space and residential condominiums.  The $16 million property will also count on 208 guest rooms and suites, and a casino.

Both properties will provide the latest technology, a business center, and fitness center.  The operator of both developments is Coral Hotels & Resorts, which owns and operates four other resort properties in the Dominican Republic.  Coral Hotels is widely regarded as the Dominican Republic’s leading hotel company.  Their focus on guest satisfaction is reflected in one of the region’s highest percentage score in guest satisfaction surveys, 94%.

“The two Crowne Plazas are excellent additions to the fast-growing, global Crowne Plaza portfolio,” says Mr.  Diago.  “By combining the global branding efforts of Crowne Plaza, with the unique local expertise of Coral Hotels, we anticipate the projects to be among the most successful in the Caribbean.”

Mrs. Perelló remarked that with these properties Coral enters the market of business hotels, and the Crowne Plaza brand provides the necessary element to assure success. 

Coral Hotels & Resorts ® operates a total of 1,900 guest rooms in the Dominican Republic.  Their hotels are the Coral Hamaca® in Boca Chica, the Coral Costa Caribe® in Juan Dolio, the Coral Canoa® y Bayahibe, La Romana
and the Rumba® Heavens in Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata.  Aside from the Crowne Plaza hotels, it has under development a 456-room hotel in Costa Dorada, Puerto Plata and the Guavaberry Golf Club residential development in Juan Dolio. 

Bass Hotels & Resorts®  [LON:BAS, NYSE:BAS (ADR)], the hotel business of Bass PLC of the United Kingdom, operates or franchises more than 3,000 hotels and 490,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories.