MARRIOTT International has officially opened the company’s first JW Marriott luxury hotel in Bogota, Colombia.
On-hand for the celebration were President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, Rob Steigerwald, chief operations officer for the southern region of the Americas for Marriott International and Ricardo Poma, president of Real Hotels & Resorts and Grupo Poma.
The 264-room JW Marriott Bogota is operated under a franchise agreement with Real Hotels & Resorts of El Salvador.
“Colombia remains one of the most vibrant countries for new development in all of Latin America,” said Steigerwald. “We are thrilled to partner with Real Hotels & Resorts on this project and introduce our world-class JW Marriott luxury brand to Bogota. This beautiful hotel brings the highest levels of accommodations and service to Bogota and is a great addition to the brand’s growing global portfolio.”
The property is perfectly located in the financial district of the city, approximately 30 minutes from Bogota International Airport. For dining and entertainment, the hotel offers distinct options including Monet Brasserie and La Mina Steak & Lobster, which presents guests with a wide selection of prime cuts of beef and fresh seafood.
The lobby lounge offers handcrafted cocktails and provides ambience where guests can relax. Recreational amenities include a swimming pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. For conferences and social events, the hotel offers 550 sq m of flexible function space.
Marriott International and Real Hotels & Resorts celebrated the opening of the first Marriott International-flagged hotel in the country last autumn, the 239-room Bogota Marriott Hotel. Both hotels, along with more than 3,000 Marriott-affiliated hotels worldwide, participate in Marriott Rewards, the guest reward programme which allows members to earn their choice of points or airline miles for each dollar spent during each stay.
The JW Marriott brand represents Marriott International’s fastest growing luxury brand, with plans to open 10 properties in five countries in 2010, bringing the total global portfolio of the brand to 54 hotels and resorts and 24,000 rooms.
This rapid growth represents an investment exceeding $2 billion by JW Marriott property owners and franchisees.