Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement to operate the Mövenpick Hotel Colombo, a 19-storey, 180-room property in Sri Lanka, which is expected to open by mid 2013.

Alongside a speciality restaurant will be an all-day dining venue, a rooftop bar and a nightclub, with facilities set to include a fitness centre, spa, swimming pool and business centre. Andreas Mattmuller, COO of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East & Asia, said the development was in line with the company's strategy to secure projects in key Asian markets. "It's a great opportunity to expand our presence in such an emerging travel destination and dovetails perfectly with our commitment to international expansion."

Earlier this year the Switzerland-based company revealed plans to open new properties in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui in Thailand in 2011, followed by the Movenpick Hotel & Residences Bangkok in 2014. The previously announced Movenpick White Sand Beach Resort near Pattaya is scheduled to open in 2013. New openings in 2010 included the Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai, the company's third hotel in the United Arab Emirates, and the Mövenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse in Tunisia in March.