The Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel and Convention Centre has been launched by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 30 minutes from Brazil's Recife region.

One block away from the beach, the 298-key hotel features a 6,500sq ft (604sq m) Sheraton Shine Spa, a 1,300sq ft (121sq m) Sheraton Fitness gym and a Sheraton Club Lounge on the top floor with ocean views, in addition to two restaurants.

The property was developed by the Portuguese group Promovalor and Brazilian company Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias under a long-term management contract with Sheraton.

The site will also include a beach club for visitors who wish to spend the day at the hotel. There will be a spacious lounge area with cabanas for sun-lounging, a large swimming pool and beach access.

“Sheraton Reserva do Paiva is the first international upper-upscale hotel in the region, marking yet another first-mover milestone for the Sheraton brand,” said Hoyt Harper, global brand leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.

“With its strategic location, surrounded by unique natural resources such as the ocean, beach, mangrove, forest and a cultural scene that enriches the landscape by highlighting the local art of the Pernambuco state, this hotel is ideal for leisure, business and corporate events,” said Almerindo Duarte, CEO of Promovalor Investimentos.

“We believe Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Hotel and Convention Centre will become an icon in the hotel and tourism industry of Recife,” Duarte added.

Located just nine miles (15km) from the International Airport of Guararapes and the Suape Industrial Harbour Complex, the site has been developed according to sustainability specifications set by the US Green Building Council. The hotel is working towards a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

This development is the eighth Sheraton property in Brazil – including the Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort which recently completed a US$50m (€37m, £29m) renovation.