Bogota Marriott Celebrates Grand Opening

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. October 07, 2009

OCTOBER 7, 2009 - President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, along with J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman & chief executive officer of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) , and Ricardo Poma, president of Grupo Poma, celebrated the grand opening of the 239-room Bogota Marriott Hotel last evening in Bogota, Colombia.

The hotel is operated under a franchise agreement with Real Hotels & Resorts of El Salvador. It is the first Marriott International branded hotel to open in the country.

"Colombia has emerged as one of the most vibrant markets for development in all of Latin America. We are excited about the potential for many of our Marriott brands throughout the country, such as Courtyard by Marriott, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, and our new luxury boutique Edition brand," said J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman & chief executive officer of Marriott International, Inc. "We are delighted to work with Real Hotels & Resorts on this project, and to introduce our award-winning Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand in Bogota."

Speaking on behalf of Real Hotels & Resorts, Ricardo Poma, the company's president, said, "Colombia remains one of the most dynamic countries in the region. We are thrilled be here to partner with Marriott and celebrate the official opening of the first Marriott Hotel in this beautiful country. We are confident it will become the preferred choice for business travelers visiting the city."

The hotel is located on Avenue El Dorado, in the center of Bogota's newest business and commercial district of Salitre, This vibrant district is adjacent to the city's industrial district which is home to many of the country's largest and most important businesses. It is conveniently located within a 10-minute drive of Bogota's El Dorado International Airport. The general manager is Ricardo Menendez; the director of marketing is Leonel Villasmil. The hotel's state-of-the-art architectural and interior design concept was created by the firm of Miguel Soto Casas y Cia.

The hotel, which is adjacent to a modern office tower, includes a fully equipped business center, and wi-fi in each individual guest room and throughout all public space. For meetings and events, the hotel offers 930 square meters of function space including eight rooms of varying sizes and configuration. The hotel's largest conference space is the ballroom, which covers 372 square meters, ideal for a conference, exhibit, or social event. Other amenities include an expansive fitness center with lap pool and three specialty treatment rooms available for massage or other spa services.

For dining and entertainment the hotel offers Pimento restaurant, serving three meals daily. It was designed by the internationally acclaimed firm, Waterman Design Studio, and includes an outdoor terrace area. The hotel also features Tanoshii Lounge & Sushi Bar, which presents guests with a wide selection of sushi, soups, and tapas. A lobby bar, which offers continental breakfast, is located on the hotel's main level. The lobby lounge area offers expansive views of the hotel terraces and exterior gardens, designed by famed Colombia landscape architect, Ramiro Olarte.

In addition to the Bogota Marriott Hotel, Marriott International and Real Hotels & Resorts will partner on a second Marriott International-flagged hotel in Colombia in 2010, the 264-room JW Marriott Hotel Bogota. The Bogota Marriott, along with over 3,000 Marriott-affiliated hotels worldwide, participate in Marriott Rewards, the guest reward program that allows members to earn their choice of points or airline miles for each dollar spent during each stay.