Marriott opens first in Turkey.

Marriott Int'l has opened the first of its upscale Marriott brand in Turkey - the 238 room Istanbul Marriott Hotel Asia, under a franchise agreement with the Buyukhanli Group.

The hotel is the first of its kind to open on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The hotel is located in Kozyatagi, an emerging business district on the Asian side of Istanbul. Nearby is a large, 20-story retail multiplex, as well as the offices of several multinational companies such as Proctor & Gamble Turkey, Novartis, ABB, Bosch, Honda, Siemens and Unilever. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is about a 15-minute drive south of the hotel.

The 22-floor hotel’s 219 spacious guest rooms and 19 suites are equipped with luxury bedding, high-speed Internet access, large work desk, flat-screen television, individual climate control and mini-bar. Executive rooms and suites offer free high-speed Internet, free mini-bar and access to the hotel’s Executive Lounge.

For dining and entertainment, the Orange Southern Mediterranean Grill offers a menu featuring both southern Mediterranean and creative modern Turkish cuisine, and serves three meals daily. The Pool Bar Terrace offers lunch barbecue, salads and great frozen drinks. Guests seeking a quick coffee and fresh pastries in the morning, or salads for lunch, can visit the 49 East Lounge.

Recreational amenities include two outdoor swimming pools with a large terrace, a squash court and the 1,000-square-meter Palestra Fitness & Spa center, including a gym, Turkish and steam baths, sauna, resting rooms, lockers and a hairdresser.

Business services and amenities include an Executive Floor and Lounge and a business center. Other amenities will be centered on 24-hour room service, in-room mini-bar, on-site retail outlets, high-speed Internet access and Wi-Fi.

For social events and conferences, the Istanbul Marriott Asia has 11 meeting rooms covering a total of 13,353 square feet (1,240 square meters) of space, including an 8,156 square-foot (757 square meters) ballroom that will be easily divisible into three sections; several meeting rooms in varying configurations and two boardrooms.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International’s flagship hotel brand aimed towards the achievement-oriented guests who are accustomed to comfortable and dependable surroundings and who prefer hotels that offer distinctiveness in design, environments that inspire performance and caring, and consistent service that meets their needs and helps them accomplish their goals.

The Marriott International lodging portfolio in Turkey is currently represented by the 404-room Renaissance Polat hotel near the Ataturk International Airport, the 245-room Renaissance Antalya Beach Resort & Spa, and the 220-room Renaissance Polat Erzurum Hotel.