Marriott plans to hire 12,000 hotel staff by 2017

Dubai: Marriott International, Inc. will need to recruit more than 12,000 staff over the next five years in order to meet the needs of its growing collection of hotels in the Middle East and Africa, a top official said.

Alex Kyriakides, President and Managing Director of Marriott International, Middle East and Africa, confirmed that the number of jobs at Marriott hotels in the region is expected to increase by 100 per cent from 11,800 to over 24,000 by the end of 2017, highlighting the company's ongoing investment in the region. The company also said it will focus its recruitment on the UAE where it will hire 4,400 new associates.

"Marriott International opened its first hotel in the Middle East and Africa 32 years ago and we have continued to invest in the region and build on its rich heritage to become one of the biggest hotel operators. Today we have 38 existing properties in 11 countries across seven lodging brands and a further 43 hotels under development which will more than double the number of hotels in the Middle East and Africa over the next five years. These figures are a measure of our commitment to the growth and development of the region's tourism sector and its position as a leading global business hub," said Kyriakides.

The announcement follows Sunday's signing of the Residence Inn by Marriott in Kuwait City, the third Residence Inn by Marriott for extended stay travelers in the GCC.

This year's hotel openings in the region showcase the company's broad portfolio of top brands, including the 1608-room JW Marriott Marquis Dubai in the fourth quarter. The Marquis endorsement is reserved for iconic properties in the Marriott International portfolio, defined by their scale, grandeur and location.

The new JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai will be the first JW Marriott Marquis branded property outside of North America and will target luxury business travellers as well as the lucrative and increasingly important MICE market.

Marriott International will also continue to grow its Marriott Executive Apartments and Courtyard by Marriott brands with imminent openings of both in Riyadh. These hotels will be followed quickly with the second Residence Inn by Marriott for extended stay travelers in the Middle East with an 83-unit hotel in the Saudi Arabian province of Jizan on the Red Sea in 2013. It will be part of a mixed-use development that will also include a new 129-room upper moderate priced Courtyard by Marriott hotel that, when opened, will be the fourth Courtyard property in the Middle East.

Kyriakides also highlighted Marriott International's future innovation plans, with particular focus on its flagship brand - Marriott Hotels & Resorts. The upscale, quality tiered marque has recently signed an agreement with the global design and innovation consultancy, IDEO, to design, create and test innovative concepts and solutions for the future of work and meetings in hotels.

"By 2013, almost 35 per cent of the global workforce will be mobile. We are designing hotels for a new generation that is used to working, how, where and whenever they want. As a leader in hospitality, Marriott Hotels and Resorts understand that whether staying at a hotel individually or attending a meeting or conference, business travelers need spaces that offer them choice for quiet, individual work in comfortable and inviting public spaces or collaborative settings for group work with colleagues, and as such, we are committed to re-imagining hospitality for a new generation of global travellers," said Kyriakides.

Today, seven of Marriott's 18 brands are currently represented in the region: JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton in the luxury tier; Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance Hotels in the upscale, quality tier; Courtyard by Marriott Hotels and Residence Inn by Marriott in the quality tier and the upscale Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travelers.