JULY 21, 2008. Serdar Alp Turan, General Coordinator of The Marmara Hotels & Residences, has announced the company's plans to expand its collection globally with a projected 40 additional hotels within the next 10 years.

The private Turkish, family owned and operated company is the second largest hotel chain in Turkey. The Marmara Hotels & Residences' distinguished collection currently includes: five hotels in Turkey's most popular tourism destinations of Istanbul, Bodrum, and the world's only revolving hotel in Antalya; The Marmara Manhattan in New York City, 10 Residences on the Asian side of Istanbul, as well as The Marmara Esma Sultan, an event venue in Istanbul. Bodrum Pool Night Since the opening of its flagship property The Marmara Istanbul in May 1990, the group has operated under the philosophy of creating unique hotels in Turkey's prime tourism destinations that reflect the local culture, setting, and Turkish commitment to hospitality.

As The Marmara Hotels & Residences looks towards global expansion, it plans to take that philosophy around the world, as the group adds four- and five-star city center hotels in other rapidly growing tourism regions of Turkey, as well as New York City, Eastern and Southeastern Europe and Eurasia in cities including Sofia, Baku, Bucharest, St. Petersburg and Kiev.

Antalya The Marmara's third hotel in Istanbul, The Marmara Sisli, a 107-room, four-star hotel located in the Mecidiyekoy neighborhood, close to the city's business and shopping districts, is scheduled to open in September 2008 after the group invested close to $6 million dollars in renovations this year.