MARRIOTT TO INTRODUCE ITS EXECUTIVE APARTMENT BRAND IN DUBAI

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) will introduce its Executive Apartment brand for the extended-stay traveler in Dubai as a result of a management agreement reached today with Union Properties PSJC, an established real estate developer in the United Arab Emirates.

Currently under construction as the Skywalk Towers, the 172-unit Dubai Marriott Executive Apartments is expected to open in late 2001. It will be the first Marriott Executive Apartments in the Middle East and the sixth Marriott International hotel in Dubai. Offering travelers residential accommodations with hotel-like amenities, Marriott Executive Apartments are designed to meet the housing needs of business executives on an overseas assignment of 30 days or more.

“We are delighted to expand our lodging brand portfolio in the Middle East,” said William J. Shaw, president and chief operating officer of Marriott International. “Marriott Executive Apartments is our fifth lodging brand in the region, giving consumers yet another opportunity to select a hotel that meets their individual travel purpose. We are confident that it will be a popular choice for business travelers on extended assignments in Dubai.”

According to Anis Al Jallaf, chairman of Union Properties, “Skywalk Towers is the latest in a series of innovative buildings Union Properties has developed in Dubai. The ingenious design and engineering and especially the world’s longest bridge between two towers at the 17th floor level will ensure that Skywalk Towers is a landmark building in Dubai.”

The Dubai Marriott Executive Apartments will consist of twin 17-story towers that are centrally located on Maktoum Street offering excellent views of the water, Dubai’s prominent golf course and direct access to the city’s business district along Sheikh Zayed Road.

Single-bedroom units will range in size from 48 to 103 square meters; two-bedroom units will be sized at 133 square meters and three-bedroom units at 210-228 square meters. The apartments will feature hotel-like amenities, full kitchens, 24-hour security, a dedicated work area and desk, double telephone lines with voice mail and PC hook-up, and VCR, as well as the flexibility of short-term leases.

Additionally, the Dubai Marriott Executive Apartments will have a large health club, including a rooftop swimming pool and a fitness room. A small lobby-level coffee shop and a private residents lounge are planned. Other amenities will include parking and a shopping service. Business center services will be offered through the front desk.

The Marriott International lodging portfolio in Dubai currently includes the 344-room JW Marriott Hotel Dubai, the 281-room Renaissance Hotel Dubai, the 171-room Ramada Hotel Dubai, the 192-room Ramada/Continental Hotel Deira Dubai, as well as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Dubai, which is operated by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, a separate business unit of Marriott International.

Other Marriott International hotels opening in the Middle East over the next 15 months include the 310-room Taba Marriott Hotel & Beach Resort on the Red Sea, Egypt (late 2000); the 100-room Petra Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Jordan (2000); the 347-room JW Marriott Hotel Mirage City, Egypt (2001); the 216-room Jordan Valley Marriott Resort at the Dead Sea, Jordan (2001); and the 150-room Madinah Marriott Hotel, Saudi Arabia (2001).

Marriott Executive Apartments are currently located in Hong Kong, Budapest, Prague and Mumbai. Additional properties are under construction in Shanghai and Bangkok.