ARTICLE - MARRIOTT HOTEL CONST.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL WILL OPEN A HOTEL OF 173 ROOMS IN PORT-AU-PRINCE
(Haiti Libre) -

Marriott International announced that it would open a Marriott Hotel of 173 rooms in Port-au-Prince for an investment of $45 million, under management agreement with the ownership group Unigestion Holding S.A., a subsidiary of Digicel Group Ltd. In addition to creating 175 new jobs, Marriott will invest in hospitality training, to benefit Haiti's tourism sector.

Digicel Group is responsible for designing and building the hotel and chose Marriott International's flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand as its operating partner under a long-term management agreement.

Construction on the property is expected to begin in 2012, with opening expected in mid-2014.

The Port-au-Prince Marriott, which will be located in the Haut Turgeau area of the city, will offer 168 rooms and five suites with Marriott's signature amenities and features, including premium bedding, high-speed Internet (LAN and wireless) and flat-screen televisions. Dining options will include a casual restaurant, a lobby bar and lounge and 24-hour room service. The hotel will include about 428 square meters (4,606 square feet) of flexible meeting space, a 150-square-meter (1,614-square-foot) fitness center, swimming pool, and sundries shop/marketplace.

With roughly 500 hotel rooms operating in the city, the Port-au-Prince Marriott will add 173 rooms to the capital city and create much needed lodging and meeting space for business travelers seeking to invest in the country, non-government organizations (NGOs), humanitarian organizations, reconstruction teams, financial institutions and visitors.

The Clinton Foundation has worked closely with Marriott and Digicel to develop this project. The Foundation connected Marriott and Digicel knowing their mutual interests in the hotel sector, visited proposed construction sites with the parties and facilitated introductions to the Haitian government and the Haitian Tourism Association. "This new hotel project will stand as a symbol of Haiti's recovery, providing much needed jobs to the Haitian people and encouraging foreigners to visit, invest and work in Port-au-Prince," said President Clinton. "My Foundation has worked with both Marriott and Digicel, and encouraged them to form this partnership. Their investment proves that Haiti is open for business and on the path to economic recovery."

"Haiti is in great need of quality hotels today, and for the foreseeable future," said Arne Sorenson, Marriott International's president and chief operating officer. "This hotel is one more signal that Haiti is open for business. That's what we're telling the world today as part of our announcement. Of course, this is a long-term goal with tremendous needs that still need to be met, but we believe that we can make a difference in Haiti by injecting capital, creating jobs and developing the human talent that can help lift this country over time back to its rightful place as one of the top destinations in the Caribbean [...] Marriott has special gratitude for our Haitian associates, 1,000 of whom work at our South Florida hotels, who urged us to do what we know best in Haiti and to build this hotel."

Digicel Chairman and founder, Denis O'Brien, commented; "Working with Marriott International to bring the flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand to Haiti communicates confidence in the country's outlook and is a huge step towards attracting more long-term investment into the country."