8 September 2005
DUBAI -- Marriott International will expand its hotel portfolio in Dubai with two new properties in 2008 at RiverWalk in the Dubai Internet City Free Zone under management agreements with Capital Partners FZ LLC, a US private equity firm and developer of RiverWalk.
The two hotels, 300-room Courtyard by Marriott RiverWalk and 120-unit Marriott Executive Apartments RiverWalk at Dubai Internet City once completed will be the second moderately-priced Courtyard and third Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travellers in Dubai.
The hotels' location will comprise a single site within Dubai's RiverWalk, a $1 billion, mixed use development in Dubai Internet City.
The hotels will be part of a 130,000 square metres land parcel that will include over 460,000 square metres of office, residential and retail space. With its central location, the hotels will have direct views of the artificial river and island and will be surrounded by a boulevard with retail and food and beverage outlets on either side.
"As a destination and travel market, Dubai continues to be amazing and is moving at an incredible pace with impressive demand growth meeting the significant supply growth year over year," said Ed Fuller, president and managing director for international lodging at Marriott.
"We welcome the opportunity to add to our lodging portfolio in Dubai in this emerging business district of Dubai," he added.
W. Jonathan Wride, managing director of Capital Partners, said, "RiverWalk has been designed as a live-walk community, providing inspiring offices and residential apartments, boutique shops, galleries and restaurants."
The Courtyard by Marriott RiverWalk will offer a casual restaurant offering a "Grab & Go" kiosk and an Internet cafe, a specialty restaurant, and a lobby lounge and bar.
Other amenities include a business centre, 24-hour room service offering a limited menu and in-room mini-bar.
For small conferences and social events, the hotel will have 3,200 square feet of space providing a 2,000 square foot main meeting room that will be divisible into two sections and a three 400 square foot boardrooms. Residents will share dining and recreational amenities with the Courtyard hotel.
The Marriott International lodging portfolio in Dubai currently is represented by the 351-room JW Marriott Dubai, the 281-room Renaissance Dubai, the 172-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Dubai, the 165-room Courtyard by Marriott Green Community and the 43-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Green Community.
BY A STAFF REPORTER
© Khaleej Times 2005
