Marriott to Open First Hotel in Benin Africa

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Marriott International announced today that it has signed an agreement with SHRL-Benin SA to manage an upscale, 200-room, full-service Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel in Cotonou, Benin that is planned to open in 2013. It will be the third Marriott International-branded property in sub-Saharan Africa.

Located on a prime beachfront site adjacent to Cotonou's convention center--close to the Presidential Palace in the diplomatic and government quarter of the city and within a five-minute drive from the international airport and sea port--the hotel will be attractive to international long-haul and regional business, government and conference travelers.

"As Africa continues to emerge economically onto the world's stage, we are delighted to be working with SHRL-Benin in bringing this hotel to life," said Ed Fuller, president & managing director of international lodging for Marriott. "When opened, we expect the hotel to quickly become the center of business and social life in Cotonou and to play an important role in the future development of the city as a destination people will want to visit time and again."

"We are proud to be part of the Marriott International hotel family and are confident that the Cotonou Marriott will be the leading hotel in Benin and one of the best in the region," said Ghaby Kodeih, managing director and founder of SHRL-Benin SA.

The Cotonou Marriott will provide an array of services, connectivity and amenities to help business travelers achieve their goals. Its interiors will be stylish and modern, blending the latest in residential design, color and real comfort and creating an environment that encourages work accomplishments, socializing with others and staying fit. Recreational amenities will include a private beach, outdoor swimming pool, a health & leisure club and tennis courts.

For entertainment and dining, the hotel's five restaurants and lounges will provide guests with a range of choices, each focusing on modern classics made with quality ingredients, featuring foundational cooking and updated presentations. Guests will able to choose among a casual, all-day dining experience, a specialty restaurant, a pool grille, a sports bar serving light snacks and a lobby lounge that will be part of a versatile, multi-purpose space that will serve as a social center for guests and local residents to meet with friends and colleagues, relax or plug in the electronic devices any time, day or evening.

Other amenities will include a state of the art business center, 24-hour room service, in room mini-bar and safe, retail space for sundries, wide-screen television, Internet services and airport shuttle transfers. A special lounge will be available for airline crews.

For conferences and social events, the Cotonou Marriott will have 800 square meters of flexible function space consisting of a 400-square meter ballroom that will be divisible into four sections and will feature natural light, a boardroom, and 360 meters of space consisting of a five individual, interconnecting rooms.

Marriott International is currently represented in the Middle East & Africa by more than 30 operating hotels and resorts with more than 40 additional properties now under construction or development and scheduled to open in the region through 2016. The company is represented in more than 70 countries globally.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts operate more than 500 hotels and resorts in 54 countries.

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