Marriott International has signed an agreement with Pennyroyal Gibraltar to debut The Ritz-Carlton brand in the Zanzibar Archipelago. Slated to open in 2021, the 90-room all-suite and villa Ritz-Carlton, Zanzibar resort is near Zanzibar International Airport and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stone Town.
“The Archipelago has the potential to strengthen its position as a key leisure destination in the Indian Ocean and to effectively compete with the more established islands of Mauritius, Seychelles and Maldives," Alex Kyriakidis, president and MD, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International said in a statement.
The hotel will be part of the Amber Resort complex, expected to be the largest mixed-use development in Africa. It occupies approximately 4,324 acres of Indian Ocean coastline in the north east of the island. The complex will have also a marina, a golf course designed by Ernie Els, residential villas and condominiums and various leisure and entertainment facilities.
The Ritz-Carlton brand currently operates 12 properties across Middle East and Africa. The brand is gearing up to open hotels in Amman, Jordan, Tunis, Tunisia, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt and three properties across Morocco–Tamuda Bay, Marrakech and Rabat.
The brand also currently operates more than 90 hotels in over 30 countries and territories. More than 40 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe.
In October of last year, Ritz-Carlton signed a deal with Zhongda Zhongfangxin Proprietary to open The Ritz-Carlton, Xian in 2018. That same month, the brand unveiled its plans for the $500-million Ritz-Carlton hotel and residential tower complex on the Sydney waterfront. The hotel overlooking Darling Harbour will be attached to The Star Sydney, the second largest casino in Australia.