Our chain is committed to serving a country of great potential

Says Demetrio Maduro, General Manager of Panama’s JW Marriott

The Marriott International is fully committed to Panama’s future with regards to tourism and business, a fact that is demonstrated by the presence of 12 of the firm’s brands (soon to be 13) –all in a country of merely 29,157 square miles. “The Marriott family of hotels believes this country has a lot of potential,” said Demetrio Maduro, General Manager of the JW Marriott, the chain’s most recent acquisition in Panama City.

Demetrio Maduro. Gerente General

The JW Marriott, which is renowned internationally due to its iconic, sail-shaped silhouette towering over the Bay of Panama, presented its reformulated image in late 2018 as a luxury proposal for businesspeople –those who arrive to take part in important meetings—without completely deviating from the magic of a beach hotel.

“We are currently the only hotel property directly facing the Pacific Ocean in Panama City. The spectacular views our clients can enjoy from our balconies undoubtedly are one of the keys to the hotel’s success,” stated Maduro, whose exclusive clientele has remained loyal to the brand, despite the ups and downs of the national and international economy. In fact, Maduro explained, a slight rebound is expected with regards to leisure-and-meetings oriented groups in the medium term.

“The chain expects a rise in the arrival of leisure and convention groups towards the second half of the year and early 2020, and we are sure the upcoming opening of the Amador Convention Center will bring many more”.

In order to cater to the aforementioned forecast, the Marriott family is getting ready to welcome yet another property towards mid-2019. It is called the Residence Inn and will be located in the Paitilla district. The new facility will feature guestrooms equipped with kitchens and other amenities for extended-stay clients. The hotel will be surrounded by service-oriented establishments and commercial centers of all shapes and sizes.

First-class MICE facilities

Regarding the meeting-and-convention market (MICE), Maduro stated that, of the 16 properties that belong to the Marriott hotel family), 5 hotels possess facilities for events with an average capacity between 400 and 500 persons. Prominent among them is the JW Marriott, which boasts seven conference rooms, the largest of which is capable of hosting up to 600 persons.

“All of our hotels are equipped with facilities for the hosting of high-quality events. Our goal is to create experiences that motivate our guests to come back to discover our country,” Maduro added.

The voice of experience

Demetrio Maduro is a Panamanian-born hospitality professional with a long managerial trajectory at the Marriott hotel family. Out of his 35 years at the firm, he has spent 20 being in charge of properties in Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Mexico. He returned to his native country to manage the Marriott Panama hotel (situated in the city’s banking district) for four years, after which he was chosen to head what is now the JW Marriott, which opened on September 25, 2018, after its acquisition.

A long and cordial relationship

The relations forged between the Marriott hotel family and Panama started in the early 1980s with the opening of the chain’s first property, which stands across Atlapa Convention Center (the current Hotel Sheraton, which is also part of the corporation). The acquisition of Starwood Hotels transferred under the Marriott umbrella a total of 16 hotels already present in Panama (17, with the opening of the Residence Inn), such as Westin, Sheraton, Aloft, and Le Méridién, which represent more than half of the brands currently managed by the Marriott corporation.