MENA: Marriott International says it plans to open two new Residence Inn properties in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
Marriott said the openings are in response to increased demand, highlighted by a 13 per cent rise in year on year RevPAR rates within its own extended-stay portfolio, as well as increased demand from the region’s Gen Y demographic.
By 2018 the company said it will see the opening of 12 extended stay hotels across the MENA region, adding 1,228 rooms.
Marriott Executive Apartments will see six openings in the next two years, in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Gabon, and Ethiopia, doubling the brand’s presence in the MENA region.
The Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City will feature 139 suites, and the Residence Inn by Marriott Jazan in Saudi Arabia will feature 79 suites.
Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Marriott International Middle East and Africa, said: “The region’s extended-stay segment continues to go from strength to strength, boosted by both economic growth as well as a new generation of travellers. While we are seeing rising demand for extended-stay accommodation across the board, it’s particularly important to note that nearly a quarter of our Gen-Y guests stay in our MEA hotels for five or more nights – the highest portion of Gen-Y extended-stay travellers of any region in the world.”
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