Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Marriott to open first hotels in Algeria, Morocco

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Marriott to open first hotels in Algeria, Morocco

To open first hotels in Algeria, Morocco, Ghana by 2012

* Sees strongest growth opportunities in Asia

* Aiming for about 70 hotels in Middle East, Africa by 2015

By Jason Benham

DUBAI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Marriott International (MAR.N) will open its first hotels in Algeria, Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa by 2012 and sees further opportunities to grow in Asia as the global economic downturn recedes.

"Asia is in the lead and the Middle East and Africa is right up there with it," Ed Fuller, president and managing director of Marriott Lodging International, one of the hotel operator's five business segments, said at a news conference in Dubai on Wednesday.

The U.S-based company, which aims to have more than 70 hotels in the Middle East and Africa by the end of 2015, will open a hotel in Algeria, Morocco and Ghana, and two more in Egypt.

"We've made several forays but have been unable to break into Africa until this point," Fuller said.

"Africa has great potential."

The company, which operates the Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance Hotels, will focus its African expansion on Algeria, Angola, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, its chief development officer for the Middle East and North Africa, Jean-Marc Grosfort, told the conference.

Fuller told Reuters that while he believed the worst of the financial crisis was over, it was "premature" to say that hotel bookings in the Middle East were picking up.

In October, Marriott said its worldwide revenue per available room (revPAR) for the third quarter fell 23.5 percent, and it could be flat to down 5 percent for hotels worldwide in 2010.

RevPAR is a benchmark measure for the hotel industry.

Many hotels have struggled during the global downturn as recession-hit customers reduce spending on travel while businesses also look to cut costs. (Editing by Mike Nesbit)

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.