Hot off the press. After opening a hotel on the top of the world a few months ago (in the remote capital of Tibet), St. Regis is now making a foray into the Middle East- with a luxury hotel planned for Jordan's capital city of Amman. The St. Regis brand-- founded by John Jacob Astor IV over a century ago-- got its start in New York City, and has now expanded to prime locations around the globe, bringing its fabled butler service to nearby cities and far-off continents. Slated to open in 2014, the new St. Regis Amman will be situated in Amman's Abdoun district. The 270-room Jordan hotel will be among five St. Regis openings in the Middle East in the coming years, including properties in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In fact, the brand has more than doubled its portfolio of worldwide hotels and resorts in the past year. Amman serves as the gateway to Jordan's rich touristic treasures-- including Petra, numerous religious sites (including the mountain from where Moses looked out over the promised land), the Wadi Rum desert (described as "vast, echoing, and Godlike" by Lawrence of Arabia), and the Dead Sea. Significantly, Amman is also a business capital in the region.

Image via The Jordan Times