Marriott International has signed an agreement with Weligama Hotel Properties Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of East West Properties PLC, to open a hotel in Sri Lanka, the Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa 2014 – this will be Marriott's first property on the Indian Ocean island.
The 200-room, 11-storey Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa, will be operated under Marriott's flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand.
"Marriott is delighted to be extending its portfolio and opening a world-class hotel in Sri Lanka," commented Simon Cooper, president and managing director Marriott, Asia Pacific. "Sri Lanka is a destination that has great potential and opportunity and we hope to capitalise on that and establish a strong presence in the country. We are confident that the reputation of Marriott Hotels and Resorts and the power of Marriott Rewards, our loyalty programme, will create great interest from both local and international travellers and be successful in promoting the beautiful area of Weligama Bay, as well as the country itself as this is our first hotel here."
Commenting on the project Nahil Wijesuriya, Chairman, East West Properties PLC said, "We are among the first companies in Sri Lanka to sign up with an international branded hotel company and to open as early as 2014. The resort is being built according to Marriott International's five star brand standards, with a beach frontage of 115 meters on the Galle-Matara road in the South-East of the country. The construction is being carried out in-house by East West Engineering Services (Pvt) Ltd. so we have direct control of every aspect of the construction of the resort and are confident that it will be of the highest standards and quality,”.
Marriott International is a world renowned operator and franchiser of a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts which include Bulgari Hotels and Resorts and The Ritz Carlton. Marriott International currently operates over 3,700 hotels in over 73 countries and territories around the globe. Marriott Hotels and Resorts are Marriott International's signature and most widely distributed brand and is also known for the world's largest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards.