By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Digicel Group will build a $45 million, 173-room hotel in Port-au-Prince operating under the Marriott brand the company announced.

Port-au-Prince has roughly 500 hotel rooms currently in operation, and the hotel, which would target business travelers, is projected to create at least 175 jobs.

Digicel, which has seen rapid growth in the Haitian cellular market, will design and build the hotel, and signed Marriott to a long-term management agreement.

Construction on the hotel will begin in 2012, with an opening projected in mid-2014.

The Clinton Foundation worked in tandem with Digicel and Marriott on the deal.

“This new hotel project will stand as a symbol of Haiti’s recovery, providing much-needed jobs to the Haitian people and encouraging foreigners to visit, invest and work in Port-au-Prince,” former US President Bill Clinton said. “My foundation has worked with both Marriott and Digicel, and encouraged them to form this partnership. Their investment proves that Haiti is open for business and on the path to economic recovery.”

The news follows the groundbreaking of a new Marriott in Guyana’s Georgetown last week.