MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL TO OPEN EIGHT HOTELS IN ASIA/PACIFIC/AUSTRALIA REGION IN 2000

Marriott International, Inc. will open eight hotels in its Asia/Pacific/Australia Region this year, spanning four lodging brands. The hotels are:

· 317-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel Hongqiao in China
· 281-room Renaissance Mumbai Hotel in India

· 781-room Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel in Japan
· 179-room Mumbai Marriott Executive Apartments in India

· 497-room JW Marriott Hotel Seoul in Korea
· 74-room Ramada Broadwater Hotel in Australia

· 292-room Renaissance Kota Bahru in Malaysia
· 134-room Ramada Darling Harbour in Australia

Two hotels are under construction in China including the 362-room JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai. Additionally, the 350-room JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta is under construction in Indonesia. All three open next year.

When these hotels open, the Marriott International lodging presence in Asia/Pacific will total 74 properties, offering 26,797 rooms spanning six lodging brands in 13 countries. This growth will represent a 18 percent increase in the number of hotels and a 15 percent increase in the total number of rooms available.

“This is a remarkable achievement,” noted Geoff Garside, senior vice president for Asia/Pacific/Australia for Marriott International. “We began operations in the region in 1989 with the opening of the 605-room JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, and thanks to the combined efforts of our development, marketing and operational teams here in Asia, we have made tremendous progress in a little more than a decade.”

Mr. Garside indicted that Marriott International sees tremendous opportunity for further expansion in the region. “We believe Asia is a growth market again, and we view the region as a long-term investment. Where you are today is not a reflection of where the market will be in the future. We have an aggressive development office in Hong Kong and we’re constantly looking for the right opportunities.”

He attributed the success the company has achieved in the region to its customer focus, employees-first culture, operational excellence, technological leadership and organizational leverage.

“Virtually everything we do is a direct result of listening to our guests and delivering products and services they tell us they want and need,” Mr. Garside said. “We are committed to giving our associates the training and advancement opportunities they need to reach their peak potential. Each of our brands has a set of operating procedures, which we continually update and refine. We have invested millions of dollars in systems and technology to provide better service and develop closer relationship with our customers. Finally, our brands have a loyal constituency of customers and owners, and supported by our organization, they become powerhouse brands with significantly enhanced profitability and growth prospects.”

Today, the Marriott International lodging portfolio in the region is represented by 63 hotels in 12 countries, offering 23,552 rooms spanning six lodging brands: Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites; Renaissance Hotels, Resorts & Suites and New World in the quality tier; Courtyard by Marriott in the moderate-priced category; Marriott Executive Apartments in the extended-stay category; and Ramada International Hotels & Resorts.