Marriott plans to add up to 100,000 rooms by 2009… and other International hotel news

Marriott plans to add up to 100,000 rooms by 2009
Marriott is planning to add between 85,000 and 100,000 hotel rooms between 2007 and 2009, saying it expects to own close to 600,000 rooms worldwide by the end of 2009. The group plans to add up to 69,000 rooms in North America, which will largely be driven by conversions and hotel construction, including the opening of 130 Courtyard by Marriott hotels. Marriott also plans to add more than 30,000 hotel rooms outside North America, totalling approximately 120,000 rooms at year-end 2009.

InterContinental opens sixth Indigo hotel
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened its sixth Indigo hotel in the USA with the launch of the Indigo Sarasota, Florida. The 95-room hotel includes a bistro-style restaurant offering seasonal, health-conscious breakfasts as well as Starbucks coffee, a bar and a fitness studio. The hotel also offers three meeting rooms with more than 110sq m of meeting space accommodating up to 50 guests. The hotel's opening is IHG's first new build hotel under the Indigo brand.

Fairmonts gets new vice-president of hotel salesFairmont Hotels & Resorts has appointed Jeff Doane to the newly created role of vice-president of hotels sales. He joins the company's corporate ranks from the Fairmont hotel in San Francisco, where he was regional director of sales and marketing for California. In his new role, Doane, who has been working at the group since 1994, will be responsible for revenue generation and will oversee Fairmont's North American sales force.

Kempinski set to open second Thai hotel
Kempinski Hotels is to manage its second property in Thailand, in addition to its five-star hotel in Bangkok. The new hotel, which is currently under construction, will be located in Khao Lak in southern Thailand and the opening of its first phase is scheduled to open in autumn next year. This will comprise a 320-room five-star property with four restaurants and a tropical spa. The second phase, due for completion in 2009, will see the opening of 40 pool villas.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts signs seven new contracts
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has signed contracts to operate seven new hotels in Dubai and another in Ajman, while announcing similar expansion plans for Saudi Arabia. Two of the Dubai hotels will be located on the Palm Jumeirah Island, with other properties in Deira, Dubai Pearl, Jumeirah Beach and the Laguna area, while yet another will be part of Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall. The new hotels both in Dubai and Ajman are set to become operational by April 2009.

By Kerstin Kühn

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