Business

173-room Marriot Hotel coming to Port-au-Prince, Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - Unigestion Holding, a subsidiary of Digicel Group has inked out a deal with Mariott Hotels & Resorts to bring a 173-room hotel, at the cost of $45 million [US], to Port-au-Prince by the summer of 2014.

The deal was made possible through the efforts of former U.S. President Bill Clinton who brought the two sides together.

Denis O'Brien, the Chairman and founder of Digicel said "working with Marriott International to bring the flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand to Haiti communicates confidence in the country's outlook and is a huge step towards attracting more long-term investment into the country. With lodging options severely limited in Port-au-Prince, this is indeed bright news."

Marriott President and CEO, Arne Sorenson said "Haiti is in great need of quality hotels today, and for the foreseeable future. This hotel is one more signal that Haiti is open for business. That's what we're telling the world today as part of our announcement. Of course, this is a long-term goal with tremendous needs still need to be met, but we believe we can make a difference in Haiti by injecting capital, creating jobs and developing the human talent that can help lift this country over time back to its rightful place as one of the top destinations in the Caribbean."

Digicel Group is responsible for designing and building the hotel and chose Marriott International's flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand as its operating partner under a long-term management agreement.

The new establishment will add 173 rooms, 5 of which are suites, to the capital city and create much needed lodging and meeting space for business travelers seeking to invest in the country, non-government organizations (NGOs), humanitarian organizations, reconstruction teams, financial institutions and visitors to the capital.