In the bull's eye. Marriott International has just passed the 1,000 hotel mark in the Europe - Middle East - Africa (EMEA) region. The American group has chosen an emblematic destination, London, to celebrate this major milestone. Now open, the Westin London City, close to the River Thames and the financial heart of the British capital, had the honour of marking this milestone. " I'm very proud to have achieved 1,000 Marriott International hotels in the EMEA region. This stage of growth is symbolic of our rich history and our bright future.r", said Satya Anand, Chairman of Marriott International for the region.
To achieve this figure, Marriott was able to count on the opening of 90 establishments last year alone. And the expansion of the American group is set to continue at the same pace, with more than 200 establishments expected between 2022 and 2023 in the EMEA region, representing 38,000 new rooms.
In Europe, Marriott intends to continue expanding its conversion brands such as Autograph Collection, The Luxury Collection and Tribute Portfolio. But above all limited service" trademarks which will spearhead this future growth, accounting for half of all future projects. These include lifestyle brands such as Moxy and Aloft, mid-range and top-of-the-range brands such as Courtyard by Marriott, AC and Four Points by Sheraton, and long-stay players such as Residence Inn and Element Hotels.
Moxy Hotels is set to add more than 25 hotels in the region over the next two years, notably in the heart of Liverpool and near Pompeii, in addition to the Moxy Paris Est. For its part, Residence Inn by Marriott, after four openings last year, will accelerate its expansion in Europe with 15 hotels expected between 2022 and 2023, notably in Naples, Vienna and Paris. In the economy segment, business travellers can discover the Fairfield by Marriott brand, which will make its European debut in 2023 near Amsterdam Schiphol airport and in the Nordhavn district of Copenhagen.
Quite logically, the American group's development in the Middle East will be more focused on luxurysymbolised by the opening of a prestigious Ritz-Carlton in Ammanin Jordan. In the spotlight with the hosting of the football World Cup at the end of the year, Qatar is also set to see the opening of four luxury hotels between 2022 and 2023, including the Palais Vendôme - a Luxury Collection Hotel - and an Edition hotel, in a more lifestyle style.
Third pillar of the EMEA region, Africa is also the focus of this development plan. While Marriott has been a major player on this continent since its acquisition of the South African group Protea in 2014, the American hotelier has around twenty projects in the pipeline for 2022 and 2023. These include six Protea Hotels by Marriott, notably near Accra airport in Ghana and in Polokwane, South Africa. Other planned openings include the debut of the Four Points by Sheraton brand in Kigali, Rwanda, and its expansion in Nigeria with the addition of the Four Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene.
