Marriott opens Middle East's first Residence Inn

Marriott International has announced the opening of its first Residence Inn branded property in the Middle East.

The Residence Inn by Marriott Manama Juffair, which is the hotel giant's extended stay brand, is an 80-unit property located in suburban Manama, and is owned by International Trading and Investment Co.

Marriott International said it has two other Residence Inn properties that are currently under construction in the region.

It plans to open a 83-unit Residence Inn by Marriott Jizan in Saudi Arabia next year, followed by a 143-unit Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait, scheduled to open in 2015.

Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director of Marriott International Middle East and Africa, said: "Marriott International opened its first hotel in the Middle East and Africa 32 years ago and we have continued to invest in the region and build on its rich heritage to become one of the biggest hotel operators."

"Today Marriott has 41 existing properties in 12 countries across seven lodging brands and a further 44 hotels under development which will more than double the number of hotels in the Middle East and Africa over the next five years.

"These figures are a measure of our commitment to the growth and development of the region's tourism sector and its position as a leading global business hub," added Kyriakidis.

In July, Marriott International said its Middle East operations outpaced those elsewhere in the world in the second quarter of 2012.

The company said comparable system-wide revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 10.7 percent in the MENA region compared to 6.7 percent worldwide.

In a statement, Marriott also said it hotels in the region saw a 7.6 percent increase in occupancy in Q2.