KUALA LUMPUR � The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur welcomes Carlos de la Barra as Director of Food & Beverage. Carlos will be responsible for all Food and Beverage operations at the 365-room luxury hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Carlos' most recent position was Assistant Food and Beverage Director overseeing five celebrity-chef restaurants and one nightclub at the 1,500-room Atlantis Hotel Palm Jumeirah, in Dubai, UAE. Previously Carlos' career has included numerous F&B leadership positions in his home town of Mexico City (Mexico), Texas (USA) and was Restaurant and Beverage Manager at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, before moving on to the Middle East. Carlos earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality Marketing from Les Roches Hotel Management School in Switzerland.

Carlos' appointment comes at a time when The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is continuing to showcase a series of new culinary developments including the Sunday Roast at The Lobby Lounge, authentic Cantonese breakfast at Li Yen, Carlton Gourmet and the continuing evolution of the recently refurbished C�sar's restaurant.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates 73 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe with future openings including Dubai International Financial Centre, United Arab Emirates; Shanghai, Pudong, China; and Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. For more information, or reservations, contact a travel professional, call toll free in the U.S. 1-800-241-3333, or visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR)