First-ever Marriott Hotel in Makkah
Marriott Hotels has announced the opening of its first hotel in the holy city of Makkah.
The arabesque themed 426-room property sits on the hill top of Makkah, which provides guests with views of the city and Haram. It is designed to accommodate Muslims making their holy pilgrimage of Hajj and Umrah by providing a property that resonates with their need for a futuristic, comfortable and convenient place to stay. In addition, a shuttle service also runs between the hotel and Haram several times a day.
Signature features of the hotel include the Greatroom lobby and the mobile check-in and check-out facility. The Greatroom lobby is a concept of the Marriott brand to transform lobbies into social spaces for guests whilst the mobile app enables guests to check-in before their arrival and receive an automatic notification once their room is ready.
Alex Kyriakidis, President, Middle East and Africa of Marriott International comments: “It’s very fitting that our flagship brand, Marriott Hotels is seeing a rapid expansion in the Kingdom. The opening of a Marriott Hotel in Makkah is part of our commitment to fill a growing gap in the religious tourism sector in the region, which experts estimate will exponentially increase as the population of the Islamic faith grows. We are privileged to have opened our first-ever Marriott Hotel in this Holy City to serve millions of global pilgrims over the years to come.”
Marriott International has a 35-year old legacy in the region, which began with the opening of the 411-room Riyadh Marriott Hotel in Saudi Arabia in 1980. The company has further plans to strengthen its Middle Eastern portfolio with 19 new Saudi properties in the project pipeline.
