SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC–Marriott International’s luxury JW Marriott brand plans to open a 131-room hotel here in 2014, marking the brand’s debut in the Caribbean.
The property will be operated by Marriott under a long-term agreement with Grupo Velutini, a Panamanian subsidiary of Fondo de Valores Inmobiliarios.
According to Mitzi Gaskins, VP for JW Marriott brand management, the hotel will be located on the first seven floors of a 15-story mixed-use tower being built over an existing luxury shopping mall that opened in 2010. Marriott International currently has two other hotels in Santo Domingo, so the Marriott name is already established here.
The hotel will feature a destination restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, meeting and event space, including a ballroom, as well as a fitness center and swimming pool.
According to Gaskins, there are presently 53 JW Marriott hotels open in 22 countries. By 2015, the portfolio is expected to increase to 80 properties in 29 countries.