Rio de Janeiro's newly renovated Windsor Atlantica Hotel has signed an agreement with Utell Hotels & Resorts for global representation and marketing, and with Pegasus Solutions for Global Commission Processing. The 545-room Windsor Atlantica becomes the fifth property to join Utell from Windsor Hotels Group, and Utell's 18th Rio de Janeiro property.

The Windsor Atlantica Hotel is a historical landmark in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It was previously operated by Starwood Hotels under the Le Meridien brand, and was acquired by Windsor Hotels Group prior to its renovation, completed in January. Located directly in front of the famous Copacabana beach, the hotel is five minutes from Ipanema and Leblon beaches, and has easy access to downtown and all other tourist spots in Rio. It features three restaurants, a spa, a fitness center, two swimming pools and 24 meeting rooms. The hotel embraces the green building concept by utilizing collection and reuse of rainwater, selective waste collection and smart faucets and toilet flushes.

"Given Windsor Hotels Group's success with Utell, it was a natural choice to tap the representation service for this new property," said Paulo Marcos Ribeiro, marketing manager for the Windsor Atlantica Hotel. "With proven results, and a commitment to excellence through a dedicated local team to drive global demand, we trust that Utell's expertise will help the Windsor Atlantica stand out as a preferred destination in Rio."

"The addition of the Windsor Atlantica further expands Utell's impressive Brazilian portfolio," said Ric Leutwyler, president of Utell, and COO of Pegasus Solutions. "We are delighted to welcome the Windsor Atlantica to the Utell collection of unique and desirable hotels," said Leutwyler. "Our track record with Windsor's other properties is telling of the success we can achieve for this newly renovated and historic property."

Utell is a service of Pegasus Solutions, the world leader in travel commission processing. Pegasus Global Commission Processing is the preferred commission payment provider for more than 60,000 travel agencies worldwide, processing more than $500 million in commissions annually. The company provides payment services to more than 35,000 properties, as well as the majority of travel distributors in more than 200 countries.

The Windsor Atlantica Hotel is available on the global distribution systems (GDS) under Utell's chain code UI, and at the dedicated travel agent Web site UtellAgent.com. It joins Windsor's four other Utell hotels, including the Excelsior Copacabana Hotel, the Guanabara Palace Hotel, the Plaza Copacabana Hotel and the Windsor Barra Hotel.