Marriott International opened its first luxury Residence Inn hotel in the Middle East, in Bahrain last night (October 2).

The Residence Inn Marriott Manama Juffair was formally opened by Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, during a ceremony.

Residence Inn is the Marriott International group's largest extended stay brand and has come to Bahrain under a long-term management agreement with International Trading and Investment Company.

"We are proud to open the first Residence Inn by Marriott in the Middle East, which demonstrates the continued growth of Bahrain's tourism sector. Significantly, the opening coincides with the city of Manama being unveiled as the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2013," said International Trading and Investment Company chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa.

"With this, we continue to build-on and contribute to Bahrain's tourism. This reflects our full confidence in the economic growth of the country under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad, the government headed by HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the support of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander."

He said Bahrain's hotel market has increased supply by 900 rooms in 2011 with the opening of various hotels, and an additional 1,300 rooms in 2012.

"The tourism sector has always been a substantial contributor to the economy, specifically for the six per cent GDP and 6 per cent employment in 2011."

Marriott International Middle East and Africa president and managing director Alex Kyriakidis said Bahrain always enjoyed a solid economic growth potential in a region, which remains a key market for tourism development because of its oil wealth, high disposable income and demographic growth.

"Residence Inn by Marriott Manama Juffair is our first Residence Inn property in the region, and our third lodging brand in the country. It makes us well-placed in the extended stay lodging segment to accommodate the expected increase in number of visitors to Bahrain in the coming years,” he added.

The Residence Inn by Marriott offers a mix of spacious, stylish and residential-feel studios, one, two and three-bedroom suites.

A purposeful layout with designated zones allows guests to relax, work, eat, and sleep in their suites, while maintaining their routines at their own pace while traveling. Every suite features kitchens that come complete with full-sized refrigerators and stainless steel appliances that make living on the road easier for business travelers on long stays and families on leisure travel. – TradeArabia News Service