Marriott International has its sights set on one of the Caribbean’s hottest hotel development markets: Cartagena, Colombia.
The company announced plans to open two new hotels in Cartagena by 2018: the 210-room AC Hotel by Marriott Cartagena, and the 201-room Cartagena Marriott Hotel.
Both will be the company’s first hotels in Cartagena, which has seen a surge in hotel construction in recent years.
“Cartagena is the most important resort destination in Colombia and we are thrilled to finally be opening hotels there,” said Laurent de Kousemaeker, Chief Development Officer of the Caribbean & Latin America region for Marriott International. “The blend of its economic and corporate activity generated by the Port, the leisure appeal of its magical historic walled colonial city, annual festivals and nearby Caribbean beaches; combined with the group demand with its solid convention facilities and improved international connectivity, provides all the necessary ingredients for a thriving destination.”
The Cartagena Marriott will be located in the Marbella district of Cartagena, about halfway between the airport and the city’s historic center.
It will include two restaurants, a pool bar and grill, two coffee shops, a lobby bar and a fitness center with an outdoor swimming pool; the project is being developed by Prodesa SA and their partners under a franchise agreement with Marriott.
The AC by Marriott Cartagena will be located in the Bocagrande neighborhood of Cartagena, with a swimming pool deck and a bar and lounge, among other amenities.
That project is being developed by Spazio Urbano SA, and will directly managed by Marriott.