Marriott Sets Foot In Malaysia, Opens Ritz-Carlton Hotel

Leading hospitality company Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) currently has more than 6,200 properties across 125 countries and territories, under 30 brand names. The company is consistently trying to expand its presence worldwide and capitalize on the demand for hotels in both domestic and international markets.

Most recently, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott — announced the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia.

The hotel, which includes 70 guest rooms, 15 suites and 29 villas, offers amenities like exotic dining venues, fitness centers, swimming pools and spas. Additionally, incorporating tinctures of the local culture in a modern setting, the hotel marks the company’s first resort destination in Malaysia and the second property in the country.

Notably, Marriott’s aggressive expansion strategies position the company well in terms of revenue growth. The company plans to significantly grow its global portfolio of luxury and lifestyle brands, targeting net room additions of 6% in 2017. Further, the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts on Sep 23, 2016, has made Marriott the world’s largest hotel.

Moreover, given strong transient demand along with improvements in business and leisure travel, we believe Marriott is poised to grow in the near as well as long term. Investments in technology for hotel bookings are likely to improve guest experience too, thus boosting occupancy.

Yet, lingering political uncertainties in key international markets along with currency headwinds remain concerns for the company as well as the other hotel chains like Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) , Hilton Worldwide Holdings (NYSE:H) and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) .

Nevertheless, continual expansion efforts and an unparallel portfolio of lodging brands raise investors’ optimism in the stock.

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