Bristol Buenaventura Opens Nicklaus Golf Course

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Bristol Buenaventura, an exclusive master-planned resort-style community outside Panama City, Panama, just unveiled a new world-class Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.

In addition to the 18-hole championship course, Buenaventura Golf Club features an extensive practice facility, clubhouse, and the luxurious Bristol Buenaventura resort setting. The club is being managed by Troon Golf and marks the 35th different country with a Nicklaus layout.

Equipped with world-class amenities, the Bristol Buenaventura features beachfront townhouses, lakefront villas and condominiums within a charming beach community. The par-72, championship course, which is open for play to members and resort guests, utilizes the surrounding natural landscape to create a unique experience with well-placed bunkers and stunning water features.

"Buenaventura Golf Club is a beautiful facility located in an extremely unique and desirable destination," stated John Easterbrook, executive vice president of operations, Troon. "We are very pleased to be involved in the project and look forward to delivering an exceptional golf experience to members and visitors at the club."

Bristol Buenaventura resort features 122 guestrooms including lavish suites and spacious villas with lagoon and ocean views. Guests are invited to enjoy the Corotú Spa, the property's pools and an attentive beach service during their stay.  Several dining options are also available, featuring the culinary talents of Chef Florian Durre and the finest ingredients from nearby farms. Further amenities at the resort include the El Faro Beach Club, Equestrian Club and access to Panama's countless outdoor activities and excursions.

"The Seal of Excellence provided by Nicklaus Design and Troon will make Buenaventura the ultimate destination amongst golfers worldwide," said Alberto Vallarino, President of the Board of Buenaventura. "Buenaventura Golf Club has been carefully planned around Buenaventura's landscape to create a unique experience for players and will raise the golf standards in Latin America."

Troon Golf, the world's largest golf management company, also specializing in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. The company oversees operations in 29 states and 26 countries.

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Marriott Announces 1st Hotel in Sri Lanka

The Indian Ocean Island of Sri Lanka will be getting its first Marriott property in two years when the Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa is scheduled to open.

The deal was recently struck when Marriott International signed an agreement with Weligama Hotel Properties Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of East West Properties PLC. The 200-room, 11-story Marriott Weligama Resort and Spa will be operated under Marriott's flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand.

"Marriott is delighted to be extending its portfolio and opening a world-class hotel in Sri Lanka," said Simon Cooper, president and managing director Marriott, Asia Pacific. "Sri Lanka is a destination that has great potential and opportunity and we hope to capitalize on that and establish a strong presence in the country. We are confident that the reputation of Marriott Hotels and Resorts and the power of Marriott Rewards, our loyalty program, will create great interest from both local and international travelers and be successful in promoting the beautiful area of Weligama Bay, as well as the country itself as this is our first hotel here."

Weligama, located 144 kilometers from Colombo, is a popular tourist destination renowned for its sandy beaches. Famous for its stilt-fishermen perched on a cross bar of a single pole planted into the sea bed, this attraction has been captured in every corner of the world depicting Sri Lanka as a preferred destination of choice for travelers from all over the world.

"We are among the first companies in Sri Lanka to sign up with an international branded hotel company and to open as early as 2014," said East West Properties chairman Nahil Wijesuriya. "The resort is being built according to Marriott International's five-star brand standards, with a beach frontage of 115 meters on the Galle-Matara road in the southeast of the country. The construction is being carried out in-house by East West Engineering Services (Pvt) Ltd. so we have direct control of every aspect of the construction of the resort and are confident that it will be of the highest standards and quality."

The hotel will be located in Weligama, a part of Matara, which is one of the largest cities on the south coast of Sri Lanka, where tourism and fishing are the two main businesses. Tourism is the mainstay of the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. The services sector is expected to be the primary engine of growth in coming years which is expected to be led by tourism.

Last year was declared "Visit Sri Lanka" year by the government. The country witnessed record levels of tourist arrivals in the early months of the year. It is a trend that is expected to continue for the remainder of the year.

"We see great opportunity in Sri Lanka with ever-increasing visitor numbers to the country," Cooper noted. "While India, UK and Germany are the largest source markets for hotels in Sri Lanka, the Middle East and Russia are the emerging source markets and with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority  aiming to achieve a target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals by 2016 we are confident of attracting great leisure and business guests to the property."

With some 640 square meters of flexible ballroom space, the hotel should prove extremely popular in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition market. Meanwhile, those traveling to Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa on holiday will be able to take full advantage of the wide leisure offerings, including three restaurants, a pool and pool bar, spa, fitness center and a beautiful stretch of beach.