Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide : 12/07/2016 Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi Celebrates Official Opening in Grand Style

Marriott Hotels, the signature brand of Marriott International, and Marriott Executive Apartments, Marriott's extended stay product, last night hosted a spectacular event to celebrate the grand opening of the Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments Downtown Abu Dhabi.

Over 400 special guests gathered in the hotel's Grand Ballroom for a memorable celebration that showcased the property, the hotel's three restaurant outlets, spectacular live entertainment and Marriott Hotel's unique perspective on travel.

Earlier in the afternoon, Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi hosted a press conference in the hotel's presidential suite to officially mark the opening, led by David Lance, General Manager, Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi and joined by special guests, Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International and Sameh Muhtadi, CEO of Bloom Holding.

Alex Kyriakidis said: 'On behalf of Marriott International we are extremely proud to be opening our first Marriott Hotel - Marriott's flagship brand - in the UAE's capital, along with our first Marriott Executive Apartments. We are excited to be opening at a time when the UAE continues to exceed expectations with its economic growth. With Abu Dhabi too staying firm on its growth path, we feel confident that our two unique product offerings can provide for an increasing number of business and leisure travellers to the capital.'

Sameh Muhtadi, CEO of Bloom Holding, said: 'Today we mark an exciting new chapter for Bloom Hospitality as we continue our journey of developing world class projects. We have been fortunate in this journey to work in close collaboration with best-in-class partners holding excellent operational knowledge and an extensive project portfolio. With Bloom embarking on an ambitious diversification strategy, we believe Marriott International is an obvious partner of choice in establishing new benchmarks of excellence in hospitality services within Abu Dhabi.

'The opening of the Marriott Executive Apartments Downtown Abu Dhabi and the Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi underline our commitment to building a strong hospitality portfolio in the UAE and the wider region. This new hospitality offering is just one example of a destination delivering an unparalleled hospitality experience combined with personalized amenities to its guests and residents,' Sameh added.

The five-star Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi is an exciting new travel destination that exhilarates the mind through a marriage of sophisticated design and innovative functionality. 315 spacious guest rooms and suites feature modern amenities and smart technologies throughout while the hotel's extensive meeting space is tailored to today's meeting requirements, bringing to life Marriott's signature meetings concept, 'Meetings Imagined'.

Supplemented by a prime location in the heart of the business district, unique dining options such as JW Steakhouse, Velocity and Kuzbara, and a range of wellness options including the Saray Spa & Health Club and a rooftop swimming pool, Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi is poised to become a local hub for business and leisure as well as a global MICE destination.

The Marriott Executive Apartments Downtown Abu Dhabi appeals to both business travellers and families with 64 fully serviced one, two and three bedroom apartments offering the space, ambience and privacy of residential living together with a five-star hotel service and facilities, enabling a comfortable stay away from home.

David Lance comments: 'Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi offers a completely novel and elevated hotel and extended stay apartment experience for today's modern traveller. Last night was proof of how an enhanced journey can inspire imagination and we are looking forward to welcoming more and more guests to the property to experience its sophisticated spaces and experiences.'

-ENDS-

House of Comms
Jennifer Brown at jen@houseofcomms.com 056 955 5027 Anoushka Talukdar at anoushka@houseofcomms.com 055 690 6390

Marriott Hotel and Marriott Executive Apartments Downtown Abu Dhabi
Susan Huisink at susan.huisink@marriotthotels.com 056 503 4232

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About Bloom Holding - owner
Bloom Holding is a group of companies dedicated to developing sustainable and integrated urban communities that offer an enriching lifestyle and quality of life. The Group is driven by its vision to surpass the expectations of buyers and investors through partnerships with best in class providers in real estate, education, hospitality, health care and property services. Bloom Holding has an established and growing portfolio of projects within the UAE, the MENA region, Europe and the United States.

About Marriott Hotels With more than 500 hotels and resorts in over 50 countries around the world, Marriott Hotels is evolving travel through every aspect of the guest's stay, enabling the next generation to Travel Brilliantly. Boldly transforming itself for mobile and global travelers who blend work and play, Marriott leads the industry with innovations, including the Greatroom lobby and Mobile Guest Services that elevates style & design and technology. All Marriott hotels participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For more information, visit www.MarriottHotels.com.

• Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world's largest hotel company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with nearly 6,000 properties in 120 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company's 30 leading brands include: Bulgari®, The Ritz-Carlton® and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve®, St. Regis®, W®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, The Luxury Collection®, Marriott Hotels®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Renaissance® Hotels, Sheraton®, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Tribute Portfolio™, Design Hotels™, Gaylord Hotels®, Courtyard®, Four Points® by Sheraton, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, Residence Inn®, TownePlace Suites®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Aloft®, Element®, Moxy® Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott®. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com and @MarriottIntl.