by Brian Major
Last updated: 3:36 PM ET, Thu December 19, 2013
Brazilian hotel opening are heating up as the country prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2014 beginning in June.
Three new properties are planned for the major Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, both of which will host World Cup matches.
Rio is preparing for the tournament and by building and renovating 5,000 hotel rooms to accommodate visitors and fans according to officials at the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur).
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group will open the Radisson Hotel Rio de Janeiro and Radisson Hotel Sao Paulo Vila Olimpia hotels in the first quarter of 2014. The 292-room beachfront Radisson Hotel Rio de Janeiro, will open on January in Rio's Barra region and feature a spa, two bars, a gym, a squash court and a heated pool, plus 11,000 square feet of meeting space.
Carlson will also debut the Radisson Hotel São Paulo Vila Olimpia in southern part Sao Paulo in February of 2014. The new hotel will be built on the site of a former Park Suites ITC property.
Radisson is spending $3.5 million to convert the hotel to offer company amenities and services including high-speed Internet and express checkout. The new properties join a recently opened Radisson property in the coastal city of Puerto Alegre, which will host four FIFA World Cup matches in June.
Meanwhile Hilton Worldwide announced plans to launch a new Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo.
The Hilton Garden Inn Sao Jose do Rio Preto will be located in the Georgina Business Park, a 33-acre multiple-purpose project located 273 miles northwest of Sao Paulo.
The complex will feature residences, offices, restaurants, a mall, bank agencies, a convention center and parking in 12 modern towers. The property is located 15 minutes from the city center and Prof. Eriberto Manoel Reino Airport, and also provides proximity to major highways to northern and southern Brazil and Sao Paulo.
World Cup matches will be held in 12 Brazilian cities, including Rio, between June 12 and July 14, 2014.
FIFA has received 6.2 million requests for World Cup tickets from 203 countries, with 374,065 requests originating from the United States, second only to Brazil itself.
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