Business & Finance

Sonesta Announces Expansion Plans for 2010

Sonesta Increases Hotel Collection by Almost 50% in Sixteen Months

BOSTON, MA - February 25, 2010 - With a number of hotels in its development pipeline, Sonesta (NASDAQ G: SNSTA) remains committed to growing its collection of hotels worldwide. In 2009 Sonesta added 760 rooms to the Sonesta Collection, including new hotels in Valledupar, Colombia; Osorno, Concepción and Calama, Chile; and a new small cruiser on the Nile River. Additional room inventory was also added, including 118 rooms at Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor and 152 rooms at Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino Cairo. During the first six months of 2010, Sonesta has already confirmed plans to add seven new hotels for an additional 1,080 rooms worldwide.

The 127-room Sonesta Hotel Cusco was reflagged in January and is located on the Avenue El Sol, near the handicraft market and close to the train station. It is a 10-minute walk to the main square - the Plaza de Armas, and a 10-minute drive from the local airport. Amenities include completely renovated guest rooms, a signature restaurant serving classic Peruvian and international cuisine, a gift shop and meeting space for 100 guests. The hotel is near historic points of interest including Machu Picchu, Inca Trail, Tambomachay and the Sun and the Moon Temple.

The Sonesta Hotel Orlando Downtown is located in the heart of the city, just off I-4 and offers spectacular views of picturesque Lake Ivanhoe. The hotel, which opened in January, is conveniently located in the downtown business district, near the cultural center, and provides easy access to sporting events and Orlando's many attractions. The hotel offers 341 oversized recently renovated guest rooms and suites and features over 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a rooftop Olympic-style swimming pool and hot tub with views of the Orlando skyline, on-site fitness center, 24 hour room service, lobby coffee bar, lounge and three meal a day contemporary restaurant. The hotel is just 14 miles from Orlando International Airport.

Le Royale Sharm El Sheikh, a Sonesta Collection Resort is a luxury boutique property on the Red Sea in Egypt. This hotel offers 167 oversized guest rooms and suites with upscale amenities and luxurious finishes, four spectacular swimming pools, a fine-dining Italian restaurant and signing privileges at the nearby Sonesta Beach Resort and the Sonesta Club. The grand opening is planned for February.

Sonesta Hotel Barranquilla, opening in March, will feature 126 guest rooms, business center, health club and swimming pool, restaurant and lounge, and 2,600 square feet of meeting space. This hotel offers the convenience of an attached shopping mall featuring 50 restaurants and shops, a large casino and Barranquilla’s largest nightclub.

The 40-room Sonesta Boutique Hotel Rosario in Argentina will operate under the Sonesta flag as of April 1. The hotel features guest rooms with first-class amenities, full-service restaurant, lobby bar, 24-hour room service, Solarium, heated swimming pool with panoramic view of the city, Concierge, conference/ banquet rooms for 120 guests and wireless internet access in the lobby. The hotel is located across the street from the Bernardino Rivadavia Cultural Center in the Plaza Montenegro, and is walking distance from pedestrian streets, shopping malls and banks.

Sonesta Hotel Cartagena has a planned opening date of June, with 126 guest rooms overlooking a private beach. The hotel will feature an international restaurant and a cafe, tennis, health club, swimming pool, business center and conference rooms.

The 124-room Sonesta Chateau Hotel Patagonia Argentina will operate under the Sonesta flag as of June 1. The hotel is located in Ushuaia at the so called “end of the world”, 1,490 miles south of Buenos Aires. It features guest rooms with first class amenities, full-service restaurant, lobby bar, 24-hour room service, Concierge, fitness center, business center, and meeting space for up to 1,000 guests. The hotel offers winter sports equipment and daily shuttle service into downtown Ushuaia and is located 20 minutes from the airport, and just 10 minutes (2 miles) from downtown Ushuaia.

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