JW Marriott Kuwait City is a luxury hotel in

Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

. Formerly Le Méridien Kuwait, the hotel's management was transferred to

Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational company that operates, franchises, and licenses lodging brands that include hotel, residential, and timeshare properties. Marriott International owns over 37 ho ...

in November 2002, and it was rebranded as a JW Marriott on January 1, 2003. The hotel has 313 rooms, including seventy-four suites. The hotel is part of a mixed-use development including the high-end Salhia Complex shopping mall, offices above the mall and the Sahab Tower office building, and is the flagship development of owners Salhia Real Estate Company.

History

In 1978, the Salhia Real Estate Company began construction on a mixed-use project including a mall with attached hotel. Opened in 1980, Le Méridien Kuwait as one of the most luxurious hotels in the area, and as one of the first international-class hotels in

. In 1990, the hotel's lobby and first floor were set on fire by Iraqi soldiers during the

Iraqi invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, codenamed Project 17, began on 2 August 1990 and marked the beginning of the Gulf War. After defeating the State of Kuwait on 4 August 1990, Iraq went on to militarily occupy the country for the next seven months ...

, and the interiors sustained damage. Following the Invasion, these impacted areas were restored and reconstructed to reopen to guests. In 2002, Salhia concluded its management agreement with Le Méridien and signed an agreement with

to debut its JW Marriott brand of luxury properties in Kuwait from January 1, 2003. In 2003, the hotel served as a major hub for visiting

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

s during the war in Iraq. Severe security measures were undertaken at the hotel, including the scanning of all incoming vehicles, passing through metal detectors, luggage scanning, identity tests, and the parking of vehicles several meters from the hotel's entrance and porte cochère.

Renovations

Since January 1, 2003 the hotel has embarked on several multi-million dollar renovation projects, which included the refurbishment of the

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

's lobby, restaurants, health facilities, and all guest rooms. In December 2020, the hotel closed to undergo a comprehensive renovation project that resulted in gutting the tower with a new interior configuration and transformed exterior. The adjacent mall has expanded into the hotel's former lobby area and mezzanine, and the second, third and fourth floors of the hotel tower are being converted to office space. The hotel itself will occupy the fifth to sixteenth floors of the building, and is planned to reopen in late 2024.

References

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External links

Official website
JW Marriott Hotels Hotels in Kuwait Hotel buildings completed in 1980 Hotels established in 1980

History

Renovations

See also

References

External links