As the 518-room Warsaw Marriott Hotel celebrates the 20th anniversary of its grand opening this month, Marriott International, Inc. heralds two decades of solid growth in the region by announcing the signing of two more hotel operating agreements. The two newly signed hotels bring the company’s development pipeline in the region to 10 properties due to open through 2012.

The Warsaw Marriott was Marriott’s first hotel in the former Eastern Bloc and was the first western-managed hotel to open behind the then-Iron Curtain. Since then, Marriott’s hotel portfolio in the region has grown to include 24 operating properties and more than 5,500 rooms in seven countries. Six lodging brands are represented: JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton in the luxury tier; Marriott and Renaissance in the full-service, upscale deluxe category; Courtyard by Marriott in the moderate tier and Marriott Executive Apartments for extended stay travelers looking for upscale accommodations. (Mr. Marriott’s message to the Warsaw Marriott on youtube).

“We are thrilled by the solid expansion and acceptance our brands portfolio has experienced in the region since we opened our first hotel in Warsaw 20 years ago,” said Amy McPherson, president and managing director of lodging for Marriott International in Europe. “With a footing in most of the region’s capital cities, not to mention six hotels in Moscow alone, we are pleased to see our expansion continue into secondary cities and provincial capitals in countries like Russia where we have established a strong presence. We are confident we are well positioned for continued growth in region in the years to come.”

To mark the celebration, Marriott International is offering a great deal - Marriott’s Go East! Package at hotels in Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, Prague and Warsaw. The one-night package (with 20 per cent room-only discounts for subsequent nights), is available from October 30 - March 20, 2010 and includes 20 per cent off the lowest available room rate, free full breakfast, 20 per cent off other food and beverage, and sightseeing passes to some of the most significant sights in cold war history: The Berlin Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, Statue Park and the House of Terror Museum in Budapest, The Parliament Palace Museum in Bucharest, The Communist Museum in Prague and The Warsaw Uprising Museum in Warsaw.