Image: A Shine spa will be on offer at the new hotel

Starwood Hotels and Resorts is to have a presence in Iraq for the first time in two decades after it signed an agreement with BCD Co for a new-build Sheraton property in Erbil.

The 221-bedroom and 39-suite Sheraton Erbil Hotel is scheduled to open in 2015 and will incorporate a Shine-branded spa, which will be around 1,600sq m (17,222sq ft) in size.

Spa facilities will house separate wet areas for male and female guests, which will comprise a hammam, a sauna, a steamroom, showers and a relaxation area.

An indoor and an outdoor swimming pool will also be included in the hotel's facilities, plus a 720sq m (7,750sq ft) ballroom, a conference centre and four meeting rooms.

Roeland Vos, Starwood president for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said: "The opening of the new Sheraton Erbil Hotel further underlines Starwood's commitment to growth and expansion in the region."

BCD Co partner Saad Aldoski added: "We believe that our partnership with a globally recognised hotel operator such as Starwood will set new hospitality milestones in Iraq."

In announcing its plans to return to Iraq, Starwood has become the latest hospitality group to re-enter the country following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

Erbil - the capital of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region - is emerging as Iraq's commercial hub and is already being targeted by Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International.

Hilton Worldwide has signed an agreement with New York, US-based real estate developer The Claremont Group for a new 200-bedroom property opening in Erbil next year.

Meanwhile, Marriott International is planning two properties in Erbil - a 200-room Marriott Hotels and Resorts-branded hotel and a a 75-unit Marriott Executive Apartments complex.

Both will open in 2014, with Erbil Marriott to feature a spa and an outdoor swimming pool, in addition to four restaurants and lounges and 11,400sq ft (1,059sq m) of meeting space.

Last year, Abu Dhabi-based hotel and resort operator Rotana also revealed it saw "a lot of potential in Iraq" after announcing plans for an expansion of its portfolio across Africa and the Middle East.

Details: www.starwood.com