It is already two years past the official announcement of the opening of Marriott Tirana. This will be the first property the international hospitality company will have in Albania.

In April 2020, I wrote this article:

“Tirana’s new stadium, that bears the country’s flag carrier name, Air Albania was inaugurated on November 17, and France won 0-2. The complex where the stadium is, will also be home to Marriott’s first hotel in the country. The international hospitality company signed an agreement last year with the Albanian construction company AlbStar for a five-star hotel. This happened after Marriott de-flagged the Sheraton in December 2017.

Management’s reaction

According to IR Real Estate and Management: “The tower section of the New National Stadium Complex, after the completion of the construction will host Marriott International, one of the most well-known hotel chains in the world. The tower is 140 feet tall, structured in 24 floors, and will be the tallest building in Albania, a great reference for the stadium and the city. An exclusive hotel for an exclusive experience. A floor of luxury room’s right above the field, a large shared restaurant with the VIP hospitality area of the stadium and other incredible services for guests. It will have approximately 150 rooms, SPA, conference rooms, fitness etc.”

An Instagram post by the Arena Center complex, right before the stadium was inaugurated, caught my eye and there was Marriott mentioned. I wrote a direct message, asking when Marriott Tirana is going to open? They replied: “We still don’t have an exact date for the [Marriott] opening. Please follow our social networks for any updates”.

Marriott’s reaction

Then I wrote to corporate Marriott hoping to get a more solid answer (read: when is it opening).

Millie Robinson, assistant to Vice President Communications, Europe for Marriott International quickly replied:

“I am picking up your request on behalf of the Marriott Newsroom. Currently, the estimated opening date is November 2020”.

It is a known fact that for the new hotels anywhere in the world deadlines are not always met, for different reasons. Delays can happen from both sides; franchisee and franchiser. 

Still not open

There is continuous work going on at the Marriott Tirana hotel and the website is functional. But there isn’t any date available when it is opening. The official Marriott site says that it is opening in October 2022.

Meanwhile, on Google, it says that the property is opening in November, 2022.

However for both October and November, Marriott Tirana isn’t bookable on the official website.