MARRIOTT BUZZ NO. 14 - 2018

17 Al-Mashat as well as Minister of Public Enterprise, Mr. Hesham Tawfik. Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director for Marriott International (MEA), joined Sorenson in this meeting, reassuring the marked potential Marriott International sees in Egypt regaining its deserving place amongst the world’s most desirable tourist destinations. Sorenson’s Cairo Marriott visit was capped off by an evening cocktail reception that was held at the Eugenie Salon, where he met and mingled with the general managers and owners of Marriott properties in Egypt. During his stay in Egypt Sorenson also visited the newly branded Marriott Mena House, Cairo near the Pyramids. His arrival was splendidly marked by a rendition of Verdi’s ‘Opera Aida’ in a processional march performed by a troop of musicians dressed fully in pharaonic regalia, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Giza pyramids plateau. The hotel’s General Manager, Omar Tantawy, then escorted him on a tour that examined the soon-to-be renovated palace, the guest rooms, restaurants, banquet venues as well as the palace’s renowned lavish gardens. Sorenson was filled with praise after his visit, remarking that “it’s an extraordinary place, we all need to come and steep ourselves in the great history of Egypt.” Egypt holds the rare honor of having two of the most historic properties in the Marriott International’s extensive portfolio of hotels. The Cairo Marriott in Zamalek is now joined by the Marriott Mena House, which was officially rebranded and incorporated in 2018. These two historically-linked landmark properties were initially conceived and constructed by the Khedive Ismail for the inauguration of the Suez Canal, and have served as veritable hosts to notable historical and political events in Egyptian history.