Marriott International has unveiled plans to open 21 hotels through to the end of 2013, adding nearly 7,000 rooms to the previously-announced Asian Pacific pipeline of 37 hotels and 9,400 rooms. The additions form a major part of the company’s global development pipeline of 110,000 rooms.

When opened, the 58 hotels now under development will add over 16,000 rooms to Marriott’s Asia Pacific portfolio. This growth will bring the company’s presence in the region to 154 hotels offering 51,500 rooms in 18 countries by the end of 2013, ranking it among the largest international hotel operators in China, India and Thailand with 70, 31 and 26 properties respectively in each country.

In addition, the Ritz-Carlton portfolio in the region currently consists of 16 hotels and resorts offering approximately 5,000 rooms with nine properties and 1,500 rooms under development.

Hotels covered in the 21 new signings include:

- Two JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded properties in Dalian and Sanya, China. They will join nine previously announced JW Marriott hotels under construction, including the recently announced 450-room JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi and the 106-villa JW Marriott Maldives Gaaskoshibee Resort & Spa which opens in fourth quarter of 2010.

- Ten full service, upscale Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded properties that will be located in China, the Philippines and Thailand and include the 712-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Center and the 256-room Manila Airport Marriott Hotel opening later this year.

- Two full-service, upscale Renaissance Hotels & Resorts-branded properties in China.

- Seven upper-moderately-priced Courtyard by Marriott hotels. These will be located in Cambodia, China and India and include the 254-room Courtyard by Marriott Bangalore and Marriott International’s first hotel in Cambodia.

“We are excited by these spectacular, architecturally interesting additions to our already dynamic Asia Pacific pipeline especially since this growth is occurring in the context of the difficult global economy and tight credit markets,” said Ed Fuller, president & managing director of international lodging. “Clearly, these new hotels are testament to the recognized power of our brands to deliver results even under challenging conditions and to the success our existing hotels are enjoying in the region.”