Above: the new Hyatt Place in Manati

By the Caribbean Journal staff

A new Hyatt Place has officially opened in Manati, Puerto Rico.

The new Hyatt property, which is accompanied by the Casino Atlantico, is the second Hyatt Place hotel to open in Puerto Rico in the last year.

This Hyatt will be geared toward the medical tourism sector, as the city of Manati has two relatively large hospitals.

“We are convinced that the hotel will exceed all expectations to serve patients and families that come to treat certain health conditions,” said Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla. “We also hope that its 104 rooms will also accommodate corporate guests that are visiting the country frequently because of their ties to pharmaceutical companies or businesses in the region.”

Padilla said that recent tourism improvements on the island had led to the creation of 1,000 new jobs in Puerto Rico.

While data for 2013 is not yet complete, Puerto Rico saw a 1.5 percent increase in tourism arrivals in the first nine months of last year, according to data collected by the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

It comes three months after the first Hyatt Place in Puerto Rico opened its doors in Bayamon, also with an accompanying casino.

The Governor said the Manati project had come at an investment of around $38 million.

It will reportedly employ around 213 people, he said.

“Efforts such as this and others are those which are allowing tourism to continue growing and creating jobs,” the Governor said.