DUBAI: Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts has expanded its footprint in Pakistan after finalising an agreement to operate its third property in the country. The Swiss hospitality firm has signed a deal with the Orient Group of Companies to manage the 310-key Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Lahore, part of a new mixed-used development the government has earmarked as the city’s new commercial hub. Set to be one of the tallest buildings in Pakistan when it opens in 2021, the property will be the focal point of the high-profile Finance and Trade Centre project in Johar Town, an up-and-coming district earmarked for significant development. The hotel will also be close to the Lahore International Expo Centre, the Bank Square financial precinct and several corporate and government offices, as well as new and upcoming theme parks and shopping malls. “Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Lahore will be perfectly positioned to capitalise on the significant resident and visiting population this new commercial hub will attract,” said Mian Ahmad Fazal, Executive Director of Orient Group of Companies. “We are pleased to be able to support the government’s ambitions for infrastructure development and look forward to Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts setting new hospitality standards in Lahore, as it has in other key cities across the region.” The Finance and Trade Centre development, which aims to grow the city’s prominence as a regional financial hub, comes as Pakistan ploughs significant investment into developments designed to transform the country’s economic landscape. Located at the heart of this new project, Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Lahore will feature 260 rooms and 50 serviced apartments; five restaurants and lounges; 1,500 square metres of meeting and event space, including a large ballroom; a 700-square-metre spa and fitness area; and a kids’ club and business centre. Mövenpick already operates the 407-room Mövenpick Hotel Karachi and is scheduled to open the 361-key Mövenpick Hotel Centaurus Islamabad in 2018. “Signing our third property in Pakistan marks yet another milestone in our expansion strategy, which focuses on operating properties in key gateway cities across the Middle East and Asia regions,” said Andrew Langdon, Chief Development Officer, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.