Sihanoukville To Welcome New Marriott Hotel

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Local real-estate firm Grand Lion Group reached a deal with US-based Marriott group to manage and operate a new five-star hotel in the coastal city of Sihanoukville.

Marriott announced it will build a second hotel in the kingdom. Its first hotel opened in January in Siem Reap. Supplied

Le Meridien will be part of a $200 million complex called Lyon D’Or.

The deal follows the opening of Marriott’s first hotel in Cambodia, which opened its door to customers in Siem Reap in January.

Construction of the new hotel will begin this year, with the developers hoping it will be operational by January 2022, according to Hoteldesigns.net.

“Gold Coast at Sihanoukville will complement the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap and the nearby Angkor Archaeological Park by providing an extended stay for guests to explore another dimension of Cambodia,” said Lundy Nath, Grand Lion Group’s chairman and CEO.

“This mega project aims to be among the first to open a new chapter in luxury beach destination experiences in Sihanoukville.”

Taing Sochet Krisna, director of Preah Sihanouk’s tourism department, told Khmer Times last week that despite the wide range of accommodation options available in the coastal province, the number of hotels and guesthouses is still insufficient to meet the projected rise in tourists in upcoming years.

“Investment in this sector is highly welcomed, particularly nice hotels with more than three stars,” he said.

“Some years ago, the city was only busy during holidays and special occasions. Now, however, it is overrun with tourists, local and international, every weekend.”

He asked investors to carry out proper environmental impact assessments and comply with existing legislation: “Our goal is to make the industry more sustainable, so we ask hotel investors to comply with the law,” he said.

Preah Sihanouk has more than 80 hotels and over 4,000 rooms, according to Mr Sochet Krisna. There are more than 300 guesthouses.

The new Marriott hotel will be 58 stories high and offer 888 rooms. Amenities will include a rooftop infinity pool, a sky lounge, and a fitness centre, among others.

The project will be designed by Bangkok-based Tandem Architects 2001 and interior design firm JKY Concept.

This article was originally published in the Khmer Times.