Marriott International to Open its Second Courtyard-Branded Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia

The second Courtyard by Marriott hotel will open in St. Petersburg, Russia in late-2009/early-2010 under a long-term agreement between Marriott International and OOO Stroiprogress.

When opened, the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Marinsky Theatre will be located at 166 Naberezhnaia Kanala Griboyedova in central St. Petersburg within a 10-minute walk of the Marinsky Theater. It will be Marriott’s second Courtyard-branded hotel in St. Petersburg.

“The continued expansion of our hotel portfolio in St. Petersburg is exciting and we’re delighted to be part of the re-emergence of St. Petersburg as a vibrant cultural, commercial and leisure destination,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s chief financial officer and president of European lodging.

Accommodations at the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Marinsky Theatre will feature Courtyard’s renowned bed and bath linens and amenities, in-room coffee makers and mini-refrigerator, flat screen television and high speed internet access.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have Courtyard’s signature all-day casual restaurant and bar called Oleo Pazzo serving three meals daily, a specialty restaurant and a lobby lounge that flows into the hotel lobby.

Recreational amenities will include a small fitness center. Other amenities will be comprised of an internet library in the lobby and a “Grab & Go” market for those guests in a hurry.

For small meetings and social events, the hotel will offer a 397-square meter main meeting room that will be divisible into three sections and 274 square meters of space consisting of seven individual meeting rooms in varying configurations.

The Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Marinsky Theatre will also boast a spacious weddings venue.

The Marriott International portfolio in St. Petersburg currently consists of the Renaissance St. Petersburg Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Vasilievsky Island.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,100 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2007 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE®, and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2007 Sustained Excellence Award and Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year 2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $13 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at .

June Farrell
(301) 380-7796
Marriott