Marriott International is to close an important gap in its South American development strategy in 2009 with the opening of two hotels in Bogotá, Colombia.Under a franchise agreement with Real Hotels and Resorts, Inc., the hotel division of Grupo Poma of El Salvador, Marriott will open the:

? 264-room JW Marriott Hotel Bogotá in the financial district of the city
? 239-room Bogotá Marriott close to the Bogotá International Airport in Cuidad Salitre.

Earlier this year, Marriott also signed a multi-year development agreement with Grupo Poma which envisions the development of five, upper-moderate tier Courtyard by Marriott hotels in key cities within Colombia. The first hotel in the program is expected to open in late 2009.

Real Hotels & Marriott franchises several Marriott International properties in Latin America including the Puebla Marriott in Mexico, the Courtyard by Marriott Panama City and the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa in Costa Rica, opening in 2008.

The JW Marriott Hotel Bogotá will be located at the intersection of Carrera 9 and Calle 73, one block north of Avenida Chile in the fast-growing northern part of the city. Nearby are high-rise office buildings and a number of upscale, single-family homes and residential apartment buildings. Many international companies, embassies and the Zona Rosa, a high-end shopping and restaurant district, are also located in the area. Renowned Colombian architect, Gabriel ArangoVillegas has been retained as the hotel architect.

Accommodations at the JW Marriott Hotel Bogotá will feature baths with separate tubs and showers. Included will be seven 50-square meter studio suites, 16 junior suites, and an executive level and lounge.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have three restaurants and cafes offering terrace seating, a lobby lounge and a rooftop bar and lounge. Recreational amenities will include a fitness center and a rooftop swimming pool. Other amenities will be comprised of a business center, a gift shop, and in-room safe and mini bar and 24-hour room service.

For social events and conferences, the hotel will have 850 square meters of flexible function space, including a 450-square meter ballroom that will be divisible into three sections; three individual meeting rooms in varying configurations, one of which will be divisible into three sections and a boardroom.

The Bogotá Marriott Hotel will be located about a five-minute drive from the Bogotá International Airport in the Cuidad Salitre district of the city. This area is a master-planned community designed for the relocation of administrative offices of the federal government and is scheduled to include a major retail shopping mall, more than one million square meters of commercial and government office space as well as a variety of residential communities.

Accommodations at the hotel will feature a mix of spacious guest rooms and suites, and an executive level and lounge. Recreational amenities will include a swimming pool and a fitness center. The hotel will also offer a business center, a gift shop, in-room safe and mini-bar and 24-hour room service.

For dining and entertainment, the Bogotá Marriott Hotel will offer an all-day restaurant, a lobby bar and lounge and a coffee café.

For social events and conferences, the hotel will have 1,050 square meters of flexible function space. Included will be a 375-square meter ballroom that will be divisible into three sections. An additional 675 square meters will be comprised of six rooms in varying configurations. A boardroom is planned.
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