WASHINGTON -- Visitors to the United Kingdom can now choose from an additional 10 Marriott-branded hotels. With these 10 conversions of former Swallow Hotels, Marriott's lodging portfolio in the U.K. totals 47 properties offering 7,408 rooms and spanning three brands -- Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites; Renaissance Hotels, Resorts & Suites and Courtyard by Marriott Hotels.

The hotel conversions are a result of the acquisition of Swallow Hotels by Marriott International's U.K. franchise partner, the Whitbread Hotel Company, earlier this year.

An additional 16 Swallow Hotels are scheduled for conversion by the end of 2001.

The most recent conversions include:

  • 231-room London West Hampstead
  • 150-room The Huntingdon Marriott
  • 146-room The Liverpool Marriott, City Centre
  • 242-room Bristol Marriott Royal
  • 120-room Northampton Marriott
  • 98-room Birmingham Marriott
  • 142-room Bexleyheath Marriott
  • 94-room Marriott Sprowston Manor Hotel & Country Club
  • 178-room Newcastle Marriott Gosforth Park
  • 82-room Inverness Marriott

The hotels offer guests luxury accommodations with on-site restaurants, health clubs, swimming pools and business facilities. Many of the hotels have banquet facilities for large and small gatherings. The on-site amenities vary by hotel.

The recently converted hotels, along with over 1,800 Marriott-affiliated hotels worldwide, participate in Marriott Rewards, the guest reward program that allows members to earn their choice of points or airline miles for pounds spent during each stay.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. MAR is a leading worldwide hospitality company with over 2,000 operating units in the United States and 57 other countries and territories. Marriott Lodging operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Ramada International brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott, Ritz- Carlton and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its ExecuStay by Marriott division; and operates conference centers. Other Marriott businesses include senior living communities and services, wholesale food distribution, procurement services, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 149,000 employees. In fiscal year 1999, Marriott International reported systemwide sales of $17.7 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit their Web site at www.marriott.com.

NOTE: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements concerning the timing for and completion of the conversion of the remaining 16 hotels, that are not historical facts. The forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements herein.

Laurie Goldstein
301-380-5296
Marriott International