RAMS and Marriott plan two hotels in Istanbul and Gaziantep

RAMS Global and Marriott International have signed a new agreement extending their overseas partnership to Türkiye. According to a report published by İhlas News Agency (İHA) on 1 October 2026, two properties with a combined capacity of 210 rooms are planned in Istanbul and Gaziantep under different Marriott brands. RAMS will act as both investor and franchisee in the projects, which represent a new hospitality agreement in Türkiye’s franchise sector.

Two different Marriott brands in two cities

The Istanbul part of the agreement centres on the RAMS City Haliç development, which will house a 100-room Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy property. In Gaziantep, a 110-room Sheraton Hotel Gaziantep is planned within RAMS City Gaziantep. Together, the two announced projects will offer 210 rooms.

Although announced as part of the same partnership, the properties will operate under different brands: Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy in Istanbul and Sheraton in Gaziantep. The announcement should therefore be understood in terms of the individual city and brand pairings, rather than simply the total room count. The stated capacity covers properties in two separate cities, not a single hotel.

The report does not provide opening dates. The news should therefore be treated as an agreement covering planned projects, rather than an announcement of completed openings. The room counts likewise represent planned capacity for these two new projects, not rooms already in operation.

RAMS to act as investor and franchisee

The agreement was signed by Devran Bülbül, Chairman of RAMS Türkiye, and Ivan Kiseev, Vice President of Hotel Development, CEE & CIS, at Marriott International. According to İHA, RAMS will participate as both investor and franchisee. For the franchise community, the key point is therefore not simply the presence of an international brand in Türkiye, but the dual role RAMS will take on.

The explicit reference to both roles is important in understanding the nature of the agreement. However, the report does not disclose the duration of the franchise agreements, fees, detailed operational responsibilities or investment budgets. The available information is insufficient for a comparative financial assessment.

Nor does the announcement amount to an invitation for other entrepreneurs to take up sub-franchise or dealership opportunities. The report concerns the partnership between RAMS and Marriott and two specific projects. It is more accurate to view it as an investment agreement with identified parties and locations than as a general franchise opportunity with published application criteria.

An overseas partnership expands into Türkiye

The İHA report states that RAMS and Marriott’s partnership is continuing through projects in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The agreements for Istanbul and Gaziantep extend that relationship to Türkiye, showing that the companies’ partnership predates this latest deal.

However, the available research provides no details on the capacity, contractual structure or operating performance of the projects in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is therefore not possible to use those earlier projects to draw conclusions about revenue, occupancy or returns on investment for the two Turkish properties. The confirmed development is the expansion of an existing international partnership through two projects in Türkiye.

For Türkiye’s franchise community, the tangible development is that international hotel brands are joining forces with the same investor in two different cities. The use of separate brands for the Istanbul and Gaziantep properties also distinguishes the agreement from a standard announcement of multiple outlets under one brand. However, as the report does not explain the commercial reasons behind the brand choices, no firm conclusions can be drawn about target customer groups or expected demand.

Talks continue in Ankara and Bodrum

The announcement also mentions Ankara and Bodrum, where discussions about new hotel projects are continuing. These projects under discussion must be distinguished from the properties covered by the signed agreement.

No brands, room counts or completed agreements have been disclosed for Ankara and Bodrum. Adding these locations to the announced 210-room capacity, or referring to four confirmed hotel investments, would therefore go beyond the available evidence. At this stage, the confirmed scope is limited to the two properties within RAMS City Haliç and RAMS City Gaziantep.

Opening schedules, investment amounts and contractual details will be important points to monitor in future updates when assessing the projects’ progress. The outcome of the Ankara and Bodrum talks will require separate confirmation. The current announcement provides no definitive information on these matters.

Practical takeaway: Franchise investors reviewing this announcement should distinguish the two signed projects from the ongoing discussions and avoid making investment comparisons until financial terms and opening dates are disclosed.