Luminary, Westin to build hotel in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): Investment company Luminary and United States' Westin Hotels and Resorts agreed yesterday to develop and operate a five-star hotel in an integrated resort complex in Pecatu Bay, Bali.

Luminary's president Fredy Gozali said yesterday his company would buy seven hectares of Pecatu Indah Resort's land to develop Westin resort hotel at the integrated resort.

"We expect to invest over US$80 million in the development of the Westin resort," he said.

The new hotel would feature 400 rooms, including 10 beach bungalows, four restaurants and lounges and meeting room facilities for 300 people, Fredy said.

Construction of the resort hotel would be completed in 2000, he said.

Pecatu Indah Group's major shareholder Hutomo Mandala Putra said yesterday he expected the new Westin hotel to bring more visitors to the 650-hectare resort area.

"Westin has not operated in Bali yet, we expect them to bring their market to Bali," Hutomo, President Soeharto's youngest son, said after the agreement signing.

Luminary is developing the Westin Jakarta, which is due for completion in 1999.

The Pecatu Indah Resort is a US$1.6 billion integrated resort project located on the south-western coast of Bali. It will have eight hotels, 3,500 houses, two 18-hole golf courses, a theme park and a marina.

Construction of the resort started in 1995. Hutomo, more commonly know as "Tommy", said by the end of this year, the first nine-holes of the 18-hole golf course at the Loring Pecatu Indah Golf Hotel and Country Club would be ready for operation.

Pecatu Group is currently also developing a 1,070 hectare resort complex in Belitung island, Sumatra. (das)