Hanover, Germany - Germany's biggest package-holiday company, TUI, said Friday it would establish a new hotel brand, Sensimar, and franchise the first three hotels in the chain in Greece and Turkey.

They are to open next summer on Crete and Rhodes and on the Turkish Riviera, the company based in Hanover said. By 2012, TUI aims to have a chain of 10 to 15 Sensimar hotels in operation in major holiday destinations.

Typical Sensimar customers would be middle-aged couples looking for a holiday break amid comfort, personal pampering and delicious food while checking out the host country's cultural sights.

TUI will not build or operate the hotels itself, but will instead license the name and concept to hotel operators.

TUI's chief executive for Germany, Volker Boettcher, said the aim was to increase the number of hotels which could only be booked through TUI's travel agency business. (dpa)