Conrad Hotels and Resorts, the international hotel brand, is set to open its first property in Bahrain after Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) signed a management agreement with Diya Al Bahrain.

Located on the newly-built Reef Island development near Manama, the Conrad Bahrain will open in 2011 and is set to feature 250 guest rooms and a further 50 apartments. Facilities will include three speciality restaurants featuring international cuisine, two bars, a coffee shop, a shisha cafe and a shopping arcade. Six meeting rooms, two banquet rooms and a ballroom will form part of the hotel's business centre.

In addition, the hotel will also offer a number of fitness facilities, including a swimming pool, a health club, a squash court and a tennis court. Conrad Hotels and Resorts has already announced global expansion plans, with sites set to open in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2010 and 2011 respectively, while further hotels are planned for Shanghai and Beijing in China, as well as the Bahamas, Thailand and Portugal.

Ross Klein, global head of the Hilton Family of Hotels, Luxury and Lifestyle Brands, said: "This announcement emphasises our goal to really strengthen our luxury offering on a global scale." Chair of Diyar Al Bahrain, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Jasmi, said: "This alliance is the result of extensive due diligence and hospitality industry analysis. The Conrad brand supported by the strong Hilton engine really epitomises luxury."

HHC also has a signed development pipeline which will see an additional 16 properties open across the Middle East and Africa , as well as a strategic development agreement to develop 13 Hilton Garden Inn sites in Saudi Arabia.