Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to debut its Westin brand in Panama with two new properties scheduled to open in the next two years.

The Westin Playa Bonita Panama, 20 minutes from the city centre, will open in 2011, followed by The Westin Panama Hotel, in the city's Costa del Este business district, in 2012.

The two properties will be operated under a franchise agreement between Starwood and Bern Hotels & Resorts Panama, the two companies having previously partnered with the opening of the Le Meridien Panama in September 2009.

The Westin Playa Bonita Panama will feature 611 rooms, three restaurants, a pool bar, entertainment area, lobby lounge and around 3,500sq ft of meeting and function space. Recreational facilities are to include several pools and a full-service spa with 20 treatment rooms.

The Westin Panama Hotel will offer 198 rooms including 45 suites, a restaurant, snack bar, lobby lounge, executive lounge, swimming pool, and about 1,000sq ft (93sq m) of meeting space.

Both hotels will provide a 24-hour WestinWORKOUT gym.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts currently has six hotels open in Central America, including Four Points by Sheraton properties in both Colon and Panama, the Sheraton Panama Hotel & Convention Center, the Le Meridien Panama, the Sheraton Presidente San Salvador and The Westin Camino Real.