February 7, 2011 - Marriott International, Inc. today announced an exciting new addition to its Renaissance Hotels portfolio, the 221-room Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins Hotel. In early 2012, the Hotel Ambassadeur, located in the heart of Juan-les-Pins, will be re-branded a Renaissance Hotel under a management agreement with Jesta Group. The Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins Hotel will join the soon-to-open JW Marriott Hotel Cannes as Marriott continues to grow its presence on France’s famed Cote d’ Azur.

Juan-les-Pins, a small seaside resort located on the Mediterranean Sea between Nice and Cannes, is a popular holiday destination with the international jet-set, boasting incredible beaches, boating and nightlife. The “pins” refer to the umbrella pine trees known for widely inhabiting the destination. The Hotel Ambassadeur is ideally located in the heart of Juan-les-Pins, near the famous La Pinede Gould, world renowned for hosting the annual “Jazz A Juan” International Jazz Festival. The Jazz Fesitival is held every July and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

“We are very excited to partner with Jesta Group on this tremendous opportunity to bring our lifestyle Renaissance brand to the beautiful Cote d’ Azur.  Renaissance Hotels are all about discovery and offering unique experiences to our guests. We are thrilled to add this newest gem, so perfect for the destination, to the Renaissance Hotels collection,” said Amy McPherson, president and managing director for Marriott International in Europe.

Mr. Elliott Aintabi, chairman and CEO of the Jesta Group said, “We are very pleased in our continued partnership with Marriott and to be introducing the world-class JW Marriott brand in Cannes this year and to now bring the Renaissance brand to Juan-les-Pins in early 2012.”

In 2009, the 221 guestrooms and suites of the hotel underwent a multi-million euro renovation and now boast smart, contemporary furnishings, natural driftwood floors and a warm and sophisticated color palette.

Located in a lush and tranquil setting, the Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins will boast both indoor and outdoor pools, a pool-side grill and is located a short 200 meter walk from Ambassadeur beach, the hotel’s private sandy beach.  In addition, the hotel is located adjacent to Juan-le-Pin’s new state-of-the-art congress center.

Last year, Marriott announced its goal of doubling its portfolio in Europe by 2015. The 221-room Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins Hotel and the 261-room JW Marriott Hotel Cannes join 23 additional hotels currently under development in Europe.

RENAISSANCE HOTELS is an upscale brand with more than 145 properties in 32 countries that speaks to passionate travelers in search of authentic local discoveries when traveling for business or leisure. Renaissance Hotels has recently welcomed several new "gems" to its global collection – the boutique Renaissance Malmo hotel in Sweden, the historic Stanford Court hotel in San Francisco, the exotic Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino in the Dutch Caribbean, the opulent Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel and the modern Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel.  These hotels join a rich portfolio defined by distinctive and well-known icons such as the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach, La Concha Renaissance San Juan, Renaissance New York Hotel 57 and Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe.  All Renaissance hotels participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards® frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay.  To make reservations and for more information visit www.renaissancehotels.com.  Follow Renaissance on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RenaissanceHotels, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RenHotels, and via the RLife blog at www.therenaissancelife.com. 

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com