First Marriott Resort to open on Fiji in 2005

Marriott International are to manage a new 250 room property on the popular destination resort island of Fiji that will open in 2005 under an agreement reached with Unitava Limited. When opened, it will be Marriott's first branded property at the destination and 11th resort in its Asia Pacific lodging portfolio.

The Fiji Marriott Resort will be located on Momi Bay, approximately a 45-minute drive from Nadi International Airport. In addition to the hotel, the resort property will also include an 80-berth marina, a Town Center providing retail facilities and an 18-hole golf course designed by Thompson Wooldridge that will be managed by Marriott Golf. 

"We are excited by the expansion of our resort portfolio in the Pacific," said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging at Marriott International. "Fiji is a popular resort destination for vacationers from several continents and we look forward to working closely with the tourism infrastructure of Fiji in encouraging future tourism development."

Accommodations at the Fiji Marriott Resort will be larger than most standard hotel rooms and will feature four fixture baths. Twenty-two of the rooms will be overwater bungalows and suites.

For dining and entertainment, the Fiji Marriott Resort will have a lobby lounge, a poolside bar, a casual restaurant serving three meals daily including a grand buffet, a specialty restaurant and a poolside restaurant that will serve lunch and dinner daily. A deli restaurant will also be available.

Amenities will include a wedding pavilion and a fitness center and spa as well as two resort style swimming pools. In addition, there will be whirlpools, a children's pool, three lighted tennis courts, a covered recreational pavilion offering billiards, board games and a library as well as a water sports/diving center and a children's activities center.

Other amenities will include a gift shop, barber/beauty shop, retail shopping, business center, a lobby concierge desk, laundry/valet service, and tour desk.

For social events and conferences, the Fiji Marriott Resort will have 640 square meters of space including a 350-square meter ballroom that will be divisible into five sections, three function rooms totaling 210 square meters and an 80-square meter board room. In addition, the resort will feature a covered catering area that will be large enough to accommodate a banquet for 300 persons.