Dubai: Marriott International said on Monday that it will open 13 new properties across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region by 2017. The US hotel chain currently operates 16 hotels in seven countries regionally with a total 5,397 rooms.
Marriott said in a statement that the latest additions to the pipeline will cater to the rise in business and leisure travel.
Earlier this month, the company opened the Dubai Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf, its first hotel for the year. This will be followed by the upcoming re-launch of the Riyadh Marriott Hotel and opening of the Makkah Marriott Hotel in the second quarter of 2014.
Marriott Hotels said that it will also open hotels in Abu Dhabi, Rwanda and Ghana early next year.
“According to a PhoCusWright report, the Middle East travel market jumped 12 per cent in 2012 and will sustain double-digit growth throughout 2014,” Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott International Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.
Marriott Hotels is also focusing on catering to the latest generation of tech-savvy travellers via its mobile check-in phone app.
Today, there are 500 Marriott Hotels and Resorts in nearly 60 countries.
