Marriott International said it has signed an agreement with Jabal Omar Development Company to manage three hotels in Makkah.

The hotels - 636-room luxury JW Marriott Hotel Makkah, 540-room deluxe Makkah Marriott Hotel and the 432-room  upper-moderately-priced Courtyard by Marriott Makkah - are scheduled to open in two phases beginning in 2014.

Located directly on the Haram overlooking the Grand Mosque’s plaza, the Makkah Marriott hotel will open in the first phase followed by the JW Marriott- and Courtyard-branded properties approximately a year later, said a statement from Marriott.

When completed, the three hotels will be part of an impressive multi-use development that will also include high-quality residential villas, retail services and other accommodations, it added.

“We are honored to participate in this exceptional development that is historic in its magnitude in Islam’s holiest city with three of our most highly regarded and iconic lodging brands,” said Ed Fuller, president & MD of international lodging for Marriott.

“These hotels will provide worshippers and visitors to Makkah with an array of outstanding accommodations and services at a range of price points to fit virtually any travel requirement,' he remarked.

The JW Marriott Hotel Makkah will offer unique environments, spacious guest rooms with luxurious amenities, imaginative dining experiences and an overall heightened level of sophistication without pretense. 

Its choice of guest rooms will include a number of duplex suites, more than 200 junior suites and more than 400 standard king and double accommodations, said Fuller.

All will feature contemporary, stylish furnishings and amenities, state-of-the-art connectivity, flat-screen, high definition television, in-room safes and luxurious baths. Approximately 50 per cent of the guest rooms will connect with others to accommodate larger families, he added.

For dining, the hotel will offer five distinctive restaurants and lounges ranging in ambience from casual to specialty. Other hotel amenities will include a full-service business center, 24-hour room service and a gift shop.

The second project, Makkah Marriott Hotel will blend the latest in residential design, bold color and dramatic lighting - all designed to inspire and energize.

The Courtyard by Marriott Makkah will reflect the local ambience in an open-design, casual environment. About 50 per cent of its guest rooms will interconnect and all will feature baths with separate tub and showers.

The Marriott portfolio in Saudi Arabia is currently represented by three hotels - the Riyadh Marriott, the Jeddah Marriott and the Madina Marriott.

Another five properties are currently under development and are scheduled to open through 2014, said the hotelier.

The 119-unit  Riyadh Marriott Executive Apartments and the 495-room The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh open this year, while the 288-room Courtyard by Marriott Riyadh opens in 2012 followed by the 129-room Courtyard by Marriott Jizan and the 100-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Jeddah in 2014.-TradeArabia News Service