Following a strong first quarter, Marriott International has announced that it will open nearly 80 hotels in Asia Pacific this year, bringing 19,000 new rooms to the region. Additionally, the company will debut two brands in Asia Pacific, bringing the total number of Marriott brands in the region to 23. In a statement, Craig S. Smith, president and MD for Marriott International Asia Pacific, said that the company will open "an average of two hotels a week from now till the end of the year."
With more than 550 operating hotels and more than 170,000 rooms, Marriott’s Asia Pacific growth remains strong. This year will see the regional debut of Moxy Hotels, Marriott’s boutique hotel brand, with the opening of Moxy Tokyo before the end of 2017. Canada's Delta Hotels is also set to debut with Delta Hotels by Marriott Shanghai Baoshan slated for this summer in suburban Shanghai, China.
Specifically in Asia Pacific, Marriott has planned to further enhance its resorts portfolio with 16 new hotels expected to open in 2017. Openings include The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi in Malaysia, Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap in Cambodia and the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay in Fiji.
In line with its growth strategy, Marriott expects that it will manage over 140,000 associates at its company-operated and franchised hotels in Asia Pacific by the end of 2017. In China, Marriott is working with over 150 hospitality schools and colleges through internship programs to help students launch their careers in Asia’s hospitality industry. The company also plans to partner with the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, with plans to be laid out in mid-2017. By the end of 2017, Marriott plans to create more than 20,000 industry jobs across the Asia Pacific region.
Marriott now has over 500 properties in its development pipeline in Asia Pacific expected to open by 2021.