Marriott Opens 800th Hotel in Asia Pacific

Marriott has opened its 800th property in Asia Pacific, the JW Marriott Nara in Japan.

The hotel, the first offering from the JW Marriott brand in the country, is situated on the edge of a 1,300-year old garden set on former royal palace grounds. Kansai International Airport (KIX) is just under 45 miles away, whilst Osaka International Airport Itami (ITM) is just 28 miles from the hotel.

The JW Marriott Nara features 158 guest rooms, including 16 Suites, a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool, spa, Executive Lounge, ballroom and four meeting rooms in addition to the ample space in the connecting convention center, the largest in Nara.

F&B options at the property include the multi-concept food theatre-'Silk Road Dining', specialty Japanese restaurant 'Azekura' and the lounge bar 'Flying Stag'.

"We remain confident in the resilience of travel, our owners and franchisees, guests and associates as well as the future prospects of lodging in Asia Pacific, our second largest market," said Craig S. Smith, Group President, Asia Pacific for Marriott International. "We are encouraged by recent trends, especially in China, where demand has been driven primarily by domestic tourism, and we will continue to focus on strengthening our footprint in this important, growing market."

Marriott International in Asia Pacific has, on average, added close to 80 hotels per year in the last three years, with its pipeline growing by nearly 10 percent annually over the same time period. In the first half of 2020 alone, the company recorded 73 new signings, including 43 in the Greater China region.

In the last three years, Marriott International in Asia Pacific saw a 20 percent increase in the number of conversion hotels added to the portfolio on an annual basis. Conversions allow owners and franchisees to plug into the Marriott system at a quicker pace compared to opening a new-build hotel. This year, the company signed Singapore's first two Autograph Collection hotels, both are scheduled to open in 2021.

Marriott International recently debuted the AC Hotels by Marriott brand in Asia Pacific with three AC by Marriott hotels in Malaysia earlier this year and the AC Hotels Tokyo Ginza earlier this month. Additionally, expected to open by the end of this year, the EDITION Toranomon in Tokyo is slated to be the brand's debut in the country.

The company is also expected to open the Moxy Shanghai Xujiahui this year.

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