Marriott International tops 2017's Hotelier Power 50 list

Marriott International president and managing  director, Middle East & Africa, Alex Kyriakidis has topped the Hotelier Middle East Power 50 List 2017.

After the acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in September 2016, the mega-operator controls 30 brands, and Kyriakidis, armed with this along with his business acumen, has led the growth of Marriott International in the Middle East and North Africa in a stunning way.

Region-wide, Marriott International now operates more than 130 hotels across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with in excess of 41,000 rooms. It has more than 100 properties in the pipeline between now and 2026, which covers 25,000-plus rooms.

Not only has Marriott signed a number of properties in the last year, but it has also seen the opening of new-build and refurb projects alike - many are firsts for the brands as well the cities in question.

Kyriakidis told Hotelier Middle East while we were compiling this list: "My vision for Marriott International in MEA is to make [it] the favourite travel company in the region. Our region has so much to offer. It is robust and dynamic, and one of the fastest-growing in the world."

The entire Hotelier Middle East Power 50 list for 2017 can be viewed on our micro-site, as well as the September 2017 issue of Hotelier Middle East.