Thai firm Minor Hotels has confirmed its entry to the north African spa and wellness market after signing a partnership deal with Groupe Chaabane to operate two new properties in Tunisia.

The properties will be owned by Groupe Chaabane and operated under Minor’s Avani brand. Groupe Chaabane is a Tunisian conglomerate of companies with activities in the construction and real estate development. It has developed, and owns, a number of landmark projects such as the mixed-use Tunisia Mall in capital city Tunis.

The first property to open will be the 41-suite Avani Les Berges Du Lac Tunis Suites, located in Les Berges du Lac II, a prime commercial, residential and diplomatic area in the Tunisian Capital.

Catering to corporate and extended-stay demand, the property will feature a mini spa with two treatment rooms, sauna, steam room and indoor swimming pool.

The second location, currently in its design phase, is the Avani Gammarth Tunis Resort and Spa.

Expected to open in 2021, the 250-bedroom, beach-front resort will be marketed as a luxury spa resort, catering to a mix of leisure, government, corporate and MICE demand. The resort’s unique selling point will be a large Avani spa.

“We're pleased to partner with Minor Hotels and believe the Avani brand will bring something new and exciting to the hospitality market in Tunis,” said Maher Chaabane, chair of Groupe Chaabane.

“We are confident that Group Chaabane’s extensive real estate and hotel development experience, combined with Minor Hotels’ hotel and resort management expertise, will ensure a successful partnership.”

The resort will form part of a larger development that will include retail and entertainment zones.

Launched by Minor Hotels in 2011, Avani Hotels & Resorts is an upscale, contemporary brand targeting “millennial-minded travelers who appreciate quality and value”.

Avani operates 18 properties across Asia, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. The brand recently launched in Europe, in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.