Bethesda, MD—Marriott International, Inc. has announced today that it will increase it presence in Scandinavia with 15 new hotels through 2013. The expansion plan is the result of a franchise agreement with the Scandinavian Hospitality Group AG (SHG).
The new properties will carry Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, and Marriott Executive Apartment flags in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The first openings are slated for 2009, beginning with Courtyard Marriott: one 272-room property in Stockholm-Kungsholmen, Sweden, and a 155-room in Kristiansund, Norway.
"We are thrilled that soon travelers to Scandinavia will be able to stay in a Marriott International-branded hotel. Having a strong presence in the region has been a strategic objective for a long time," said Arne Sorenson, Marriott International’s chief financial officer and president of Marriott’s European operations.
The Courtyard by Marriott Stockholm-Kungsholmen will be part of a mixed-use project that includes about 350 residential apartments in the western suburbs of Stockholm, where international corporations such as Electrolux, Pharmacia, and Ericsson are headquartered. Within walking distance of Stockholm’s leisure attractions, the hotel will offer 9,598 sf of function space, including a 7,069-sf ballroom that can be broken into three sections.
The Courtyard by Marriott Kristiansund International Airport will be connected to the airport through a covered walkway. About 570 kilometers northwest of Oslo, the fishing port of Kristiansund has converted itself into a major oil and gas center with Shell, Statoil, and Norsk Hydro having a presence at the city. The hotel will have 9,405 sf of function space with a 6,994-sf ballroom, divisible into three sections. Four meeting rooms totaling 2,411 sf will be available for different kinds of setup.