Moving Marriott across the GLOBE

Thursday, July 28, 2005
Weston Town Crier
By Cheryl Balian Scaparrotta / Correspondent

[...] a Weston businessman is [...] funding a glamorous new hotel in the former Soviet republic of Armenia.

Paul Korian is managing partner of AK Development, an investor group behind the purchase and multi-million dollar renovation of the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. The nine-story hotel, with 226 guest rooms and four restaurants, is at the heart of the city’s cultural and business center.

“The hotel marks [...] the largest U.S. investment in Armenia, and {is} the first internationally-branded investment in that nation.”
[...]
The grandiose building, [...] sits prominently on Yerevan’s Republic Square, center of the capital city. The National Art Gallery is opposite the hotel, and a number of other museums and businesses are within walking distance.
[...]
Korian, a co-founder of Staples, the office superstore, had no previous experience as a hotelier. Though he had always been active in the Armenian community, a devastating earthquake that struck Armenia in 1988 prompted him and many others to evaluate more permanent ways to aid their ethnic homeland.
[...]
Hallmarks of luxury in the new hotel – for which the president of Armenia cut the ceremonial ribbon for –include a fitness center, in-room Internet connectivity, 24-hour room service and a two-story presidential suite fit for visiting heads of state.

Marriott has incorporated the hotel into its worldwide reservations system, sent over a dozen Armenian employees abroad for management training, and installed seasoned company executives in Yerevan.
[...]
[...] Armenia is just beginning to market its assets, like its rich history and natural beauty, to a global audience. It was always a tourist destination for those in the Soviet system, and many USSR Olympic athletes trained in its warm summer climate.
[...]
“The hotel is a catalyst to demonstrate that people from all around the world can enjoy Armenian culture,” emphasized Korian.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.