Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) announced today that it has signed an agreement with KJP Participaçoes LTD to bring the W Hotels brand to Gramado, a tourist town in the mountains of the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. The property will be the second W Hotel to open in the country and the fourth in the Southern Cone of Latin America.
"Having a top-notch W Hotel in Rio Grande do Sul, a ready-made destination for bold brand design, its Whatever / Whenever service and innovative programming is exceptional," said Laurent de Kousemaeker, Director of Development for the Caribbean and Latin America from Marriott International.
The 80-room hotel, W Gramado, will be located in the Swiss Village, the highest point in Gramado, known for its exceptional views of the valley and its hills beyond the city center. The property is located next to Orchid Park and less than a mile from Gramado's main attractions. The hotel is slated to occupy a single four-story building with sustainable architecture with greenery characteristics that are indigenous to Orchid Park. The adjacent W Residences will be located in a group of low-rise buildings within walking distance of the hotel.
The hotel is set up to offer its guests the most luxurious resort experience in a very different way, and to offer Brazilian visitors an exciting new accommodation option that incorporates the W Hotels brand philosophy of "working hard, Play hard". W Gramado will bring an accommodation alternative that does not yet exist in the city, which will provide its guests and the owners of W Residences with an experience that is normally only offered in the most requested world tourist destinations. The hotel plans to offer various food and beverage options, both indoors and outdoors; an exclusive Wet Deck, AWAY ® Spa; FIT ® Fitness Center, as well as a rooftop bar that will be at the highest point of Gramado, with an incredible view of several nearby cities. For corporate and social events, the impressive property will provide 500 square meters of meeting space and event center.
"W Gramado will help put the city on the map as a sustainable luxury destination with the arrival of W Hotel & Residences. I think the city is perfectly poised to welcome future generations of travelers with this exciting addition to Parque de las Orchids, "says George Brody representing the owners of the Swiss Village.
KJP Participaçoes LTD expects to start construction in early 2021 and plans to complete and open the hotel in the first quarter of 2023.