Marriott to manage new hotel in Shenzhen, China

Marriott's lodging portfolio in China is set to expand with the addition in early 2005 of the 450-room Shenzhen Marriott Hotel under a management agreement with Shenzhen Guangzhou Mansion Co., Ltd.

Currently under construction, the hotel will be located on the western edge of the Futian central business district of Shenzhen near the intersection of Shennan Avenue and Guangshen Expressway. Surrounding the hotel are commercial and residential developments and recreational facilities.

When opened, the hotel will be about a 10-minute drive from the 24-hour border crossing point of Huangang Port and will be approximately 200 meters from each of two subway stations.

"Our lodging portfolio in China continues to go from strength to strength and we are thrilled with this sensational hotel," said Ed Fuller, president and managing director for international lodging at Marriott International.

Guestrooms at the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel will measure between 35 and 46 square meters and will be among the largest in the market. G.I.L., which did the interior design work for the Chongqing Marriott, the Renaissance Shanghai Pudong and the Beijing Renaissance hotels, has been retained as the interior design firm.

For dining and recreation, the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel will offer a casual restaurant, a Chinese restaurant with seven private dining rooms and a lobby bar. Other amenities will include a health club and spa offering six treatment rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a business center, a gift shop, a concierge desk, and an executive lounge featuring a boardroom.

For social events and conferences, the hotel will have 980-square meters of flexible space. Included will be a 630-square meter ballroom that is divisible into four sections; a 150-square meter conference room divisible into two sections and three additional meeting rooms and a boardroom.

Today, the Marriott hotel portfolio in China encompasses 32 hotels offering 22,026 rooms.

In addition to the Shenzhen Marriott hotel, seven hotels are currently under construction in China. They are the:

· 284-room Renaissance Tianjin TEDA Hotel, opening in 2004
· 453-room Sanya Marriott Resort, opening in 2004
· 289-room Renaissance Wuhan Hotel, opening in 2005
· 380-room Renaissance Suzhou Hotel, opening in 2005
· 226-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Beijing, opening in 2006
· 591-room JW Marriott Hotel Beijing, opening in 2007

Additionally, one Ramada International hotel the 105-room Ramada Hotel Wuyishan, has just opened.