Colombia: The Newest Stamp on My Passport
;)
For as many years as I've been traveling, there is nothing like visiting a new country. My passport has stamps and visas for China, India, the UK, France, Spain, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and now, Colombia since we just opened our first hotel in Bogota. I had never been to Colombia before, but the political and economic climate is much improved for travel and tourism.
Our new Marriott near the Bogota airport is owned by Ricardo Poma, who runs a family business a lot like ours. They hold many of the same core beliefs and values that we do at Marriott, like taking care of our associates, as well as our guests.
It's a really pretty hotel. All of the guest rooms have 10-foot ceilings and floor to ceiling windows with spectacular views of the city and the beautiful surrounding valley and mountains. Bogota is actually the city with the third highest elevation in the world, at about 9,000 feet above sea level, which makes it very unique, but it definitely takes a little bit of getting used to.
While I was there, I had the opportunity to meet the country's president, President Uribe, who has done wonders for the reputation and business environment for investing in Colombia. He attended our grand opening and welcomed us officially to his country. He has greatly reduced the crime rate and helped to restore order in Colombia, making it a prime travel destination in South America.
The number of visitors to Colombia is steadily increasing and I'm thrilled we have now have a hotel in the region to accommodate these guests and provide them with the best service possible. We're continuing to grow there as we're going to open another brand new hotel in Bogota in the summer of 2010, a JW Marriott, and hopefully hotels in other cities in Colombia like Cali, Medellin and Cartagena.
I'm confident more and more people will be traveling to take advantage of this country's rich culture, terrific food, lively music and wonderful people. One of my favorite parts of the trip was meeting Patricia Lopez, a former Miss Colombia and popular radio hostess, who emceed our grand opening. Beautiful hotels and beautiful people - what a winning combination.
I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
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Posted By: Paul (11/11/2009)
Comment: Hi Bill,
I recently added Thailand stamp to my passport. Stayed at JW in Bangkok and Beach Club in Phuket. We had a wonderful time. Your facilities are top notch there. We did find a surprise when I got back though. We spent almost $1000 at the Beach Club and got 0 points because we were staying at our timeshare. This is a terrible policy because the prices aren't adjusted for locale but we didn't mind expecting some MR points, but nope --zilch. Makes us not want to spend a dime on future stays.
Best,
Paul
Posted By: Sarah (11/5/2009)
Comment: Mr. Marriott, I am happy to see that the company is expanding further into South America; however, I was wondering if Marriott had any concerns opening a hotel in Columbia? Due to the widespread crime that has unfortunately plagued the beautiful Columbian country, does the hotel have certain polices and regulations that other Marriott properties do not have set in order to deal with the possibility for crime?
Posted By: travel india (11/2/2009)
Comment: This is really fantastic and fabulous step to start hotel and serving services beside watching all the voilent and terrible steps in country like columbia.....with my regards and best wishes TCIndia
Posted By: Warren (10/31/2009)
Comment: Mr. Marriot,
I am a big fan of the Marriot Hotels.
Its great your company is opening hotels in Colombia. Its says a lot about how far Colombia has come. As a US Government employee I had the opportunity to meet President Uribe and work in Colombia from 2003-2007. It was a indeed an experience I will always treasure.
Has the Marriot Company conducted research on expanding into West Africa? It appears that the new Governor of Lagos State has begun to straighten out Lagos and take steps so that it could eventually become the Dubai of West Africa. One of the biggest challenges in Lagos is finding a hotel chain that consistently provides superior service for the business traveler. I believe tremendous opportunities are present in West Africa. I'm looking forward to relocate to the continent when I retire in five years. All the best and I look forward to staying at the Marriot in Bogota when I return with my family. W
Posted By: Robert McLaughlin (10/31/2009)
Comment: Congrats Bill...I've been traveling to Bogota for 20 years and as a Plat rewards member I've not had a Marriott to stay. I'll check in next month and look forward to it.
Posted By: Fabio (10/26/2009)
Comment: I can't wait to see the new properties!!! Thank you Mr. Marriott for your kind words about Colombia, as a Colombian citizen and a loyal Platinum Elite customer I appreciate them.
Posted By: Mihir Nayak (10/25/2009)
Comment: It is indeed a brave step forward to open a Marriott hotel in a country like Colombia, given its violent and turbulent history.
But I am sure that business and leisure travellers will be reassured by the fact that Marriott has chosen to open a hotel in the country, meaning that Marriott deems the country to be safe enough for travel. It will be on your reassurance that many travelers will now start flying out to Bogota and the rest of Colombia.
Indeed, you have taken on a big burden of responsibility on your shoulders. I wish you all the best.
Cheers
Mihir Nayak
CEO, Mitaroy Hotels and Resorts
