The first JW Marriott property in Bahrain due to open in 2016 will almost double US-based hotelier Marriott International's Bahraini room offering.

The 50-storey hotel will have 274 rooms and suites and 102 residences in Bahrain Bay, adjacent to Bahrain Financial Harbour and opposite the diplomatic quarter, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The company's existing portfolio in the kingdom consists of 535 rooms across the Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn and Marriott Executive Apartments brands, Marriott International vice-president of global sales for Middle East and Africa Vladimir Dabbah said.

Dabbah was in Bahrain last week along with executives from across the globe to highlight the company's focus on the potential in the growing market which they said is on the cusp of a dramatic upturn, with government plans to invest heavily into travel and tourism infrastructure.

"The GCC sales mission is designed to connect Marriott International with both current and prospective customers and is one of the most focused events in the Middle East," he said.

"The annual tour is vital to our business as it provides customers with a great opportunity to be the first to hear our news and serves as a platform for us to consolidate business in addition to discussing new opportunities in Bahrain," remarked Dabbah.

"The unique face-to-face approach of the sales mission helped us to maximise our sales efforts and reflects the company's proactive strategy to strengthen relationships with key customers," he noted.

"It also demonstrates our long-term approach and investment in Bahrain," he added.

During the GCC sales mission executives also visited Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar, with forthcoming visits planned to Doha and Kuwait.

Capital investment in Bahrain's travel and tourism sector reached approximately BD196.3 million ($508 million) in 2012, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

This figure increased by around 13.2 per cent last year and is expected to rise 4.9 per cent per annum over the next 10 years.

Marriott International's current Middle East and Africa pipeline stands at; 161 properties across 18 countries (MEA) offering a total of 23,701 rooms spanning eight brands; JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments and the newly acquired Protea Hotels.-TradeArabia News Service