The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company unveils plans to expand in CIS with the announcement of a hotel in Astana, capital city of Kazakhstan

LONDON, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. and Verny Capital, a leading Kazakhstan private investment group, have signed an agreement for the development of The Ritz-Carlton, Astana. The luxury hotel is due to open in 2017 as the portfolio's second hotel in Kazakhstan, with The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty previously opening its doors in 2013.

Herve Humler, President and Chief Operations Officer, The Ritz-Carlton, said, "We are delighted to work once again with our partners Verny Capital and to bring The Ritz-Carlton renowned levels of hospitality to the capital city of Kazakhstan. We look forward to creating a prestigious luxury hotel for international travellers to this dynamic city."

The Ritz-Carlton, Astana will be the first international luxury property among hotels in the Kazakh capital, bringing its unique benchmark service culture, with luxurious accommodations and experiences to the city.  Located in the mixed use Talan Towers project, the hotel will occupy 20 floors of the 27 storey development designed by SOM architects from New York.  With 157 lavish guest rooms and suites, the hotel will also offer Ritz-Carlton Club Level accommodation with exclusive access to a Club Lounge. Restaurants and bars at the property will include a Sky Bar with panoramic city views as well as a restaurant, Cigar Bar and private fine dining areas. Business and meeting facilities at the hotel comprise of a 990 square metre Ballroom, designed for social events as well as conferences, smaller breakout rooms and board rooms.  A Spa and Fitness Centre are planned including an indoor swimming pool.

Erlan Ospanov, General Director of Verny Capital commented, "The signing of this agreement is an important step for us. We have a longtime partnership with The Ritz-Carlton and this will be our third property adding to The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna and The Ritz Carlton, Moscow - the stars of our real estate portfolio. Our Group has approximately US$4 billion of capital under management. Talan Towers is also set to become a new treasure in our real estate collection."

The Talan Towers project, strategically located in the heart of the Left Bank also encompasses retail space, offices and luxury apartments.

Astana, located at the heart of Kazakhstan, became the Republic's capital in 1997, after the capital city was moved from Almaty, the site of the first Ritz-Carlton hotel in Kazakhstan.  Astana is a developing city with many spectacular urban design projects underway within an ambitious master plan. Included are public buildings, educational establishments, sports and tourism projects as well as a state-of-the-art transportation system. The city will host Expo 2017 and construction has begun for the exhibition site for this international event which will attract participants from over 100 countries.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates 86 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, an award that originated in 1987. Its purpose is to promote the awareness of quality excellence, recognize quality achievements of companies and publicize successful quality strategies. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company won the award in 1992 and 1999. For more information, or reservations, contact a travel professional or visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR).

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SOURCE The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.