SINGAPORE ~ Singapore-listed resort and hotel operator Banyan Tree is spreading its roots wider in Asia, the Gulf and Europe, the chain said this week.

The company said it had an agreement to establish an Angsana Resort and Spa in Santorini, Greece, and to operate another Angsana Resort and Spa in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

Both resorts are to open in 2009, Banyan Tree said.

Separate agreements will see the firm manage Angsana Spas on China’s Hainan Island, and in Bangalore South Taluk in India, it said.

The company said it also entered into land-acquisition agreements or memoranda of understanding for developments in Jiuzhaigou, Lhasa and Guilin in China.

“These are extraordinary properties and sites and are a good fit to our strategy of operating a range of Banyan Tree and Angsana brands in the leading tourist destinations around the world,” said the company’s executive chairman, Ho Kwon Ping.

Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a manager and developer of premium Asia Pacific resorts, hotels and spas, currently with 19 resorts and hotels, 52 spas, 56 galleries and two golf courses. Banyan Tree and Angsana are its two key brands.