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Marriott debuts new long-stay brand

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Artist’s impression of the new properties

MARRIOTT International will introduce its first Residence Inn by Marriott property for extended stay travellers in the Middle East with an 83-unit hotel in the Saudi Arabian province of Jizan on the Red Sea in 2012.

It will be part of a mixed-use development which will also include a new 129-room, upper-moderate priced Courtyard by Marriott hotel, the fourth Courtyard property in the Middle East, and a 58,000-sq-m shopping mall.

Marriott will manage both hotels under a long-term agreement recently concluded with Abdulrahman Saad Al-Rashid & Sons. The properties are currently under construction in adjacent towers separated by a shared swimming pool in the northern part of Jizan city close to the municipality and the new Jizan University. 

“We’re thrilled by the continued expansion of our lodging portfolio in Saudi Arabia and to participate in the economic development of Jizan,” said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International.

“Tourism in the kingdom has strong growth potential with an average increase of 6.5 per cent year-over-year projected through 2014. We’re confident that both these hotels will be successful from day one because of the power of their brand names, the value and comfort they both offer, their integration with a modern shopping mall and Jizan’s easy accessibility to the renowned offshore Farasan Island archipelago which is recognised for its spectacular coral reefs and abundant underwater life.”

Sulaiman Al Rashid, deputy general manager of Abdulrahman Saad Al-Rashid & Sons said the opening of the Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn properties will set a new level of hospitality service in the southern province since it is experiencing huge growth in the private and public sectors under the special attention of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques which, in turn, will lead to a tremendous expansion of the hospitality sector in Jizan city.

The Residence Inn by Marriott Jizan will offer 83 spacious and modern studios and one- and two-bedroom suites with each studio unit connecting with a one- or two-bedroom apartment.  Designed for stays of five nights or longer, each suite will include a fully-equipped kitchen and separate living area, flat screen TV and Marriott’s highly acclaimed bed and bath linens. Rates will vary depending on length of stay.

A special feature will be the Residence Inn lobby that will offer a club-like environment and will include a self-service lounge/coffee shop, a library and a small meeting room. A ‘grab and go’ kiosk/market will also be available.

And for recreation, as well as the pool, there will be separate fitness rooms and lockers for men and women.

The Courtyard by Marriott Jizan will have contemporary, stylishly-designed accommodations including 15 junior suites and two suites. King-bedded guest rooms and suites will be interconnected with double-bedded rooms to accommodate families during school holidays.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have a casual restaurant serving three meals daily, a lobby lounge and a juice bar on the pool deck.  Recreational amenities will include a shared fitness room with separate lockers, sauna and steam room for male and female guests and the outdoor swimming pool will be shared with guests of the Residence Inn.

Residence Inn is Marriott’s second largest lodging brand with nearly 600 properties in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Courtyard ranks as Marriott’s largest brand with nearly 900 hotels throughout the world.

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