A top hotel group has unveiled a R2-billion plan for 540 new seafront rooms in an attempt to slake the seemingly unquenched thirst for tourist accommodation in Cape Town. Marriott International - Africa's biggest hotel operator thanks to its 2014 purchase of Protea - is planning to build three hotels in Cape Town, in partnership with Amdec Group.The 200-room Cape Town Marriott Hotel Foreshore will be the first Marriott property in the city, and will be at Harbour Arch in the Culemborg Quarter.It will be flanked by the 150-room Residence Inn Cape Town Foreshore. And the 189-room AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront will be at The Yacht Club.Marriott's partnership with Amdec also includes the development of the Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch and the Marriott Executive Apartments Johannesburg Melrose Arch."Africa is particularly important to Marriott International's expansion strategy because of the continent's rapid economic growth, expanding middle class and youth population, as well as the increase of international flights into the continent," said Marriott boss Arne Sorenson."With more than 850 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are enormous opportunities."The five hotels, involving an investment of R3-billion, are expected to create 8000 construction jobs and more than 700 long-term hospitality jobs, Marriott said.Alan Winde, the Western Cape economic opportunities MEC, said that the Marriott investment was a boost for tourism.In other hotel developments:A 500-room Tsogo Sun hotel complex costing about R680-million is being built on the corner of Strand and Bree streets in the city centre;A 120-room hotel is planned on Passenger Rail Authority of SA land bounded by Strand and Adderley streets and Old Marine Drive;A 28-room hotel in the V&A Waterfront's Silo district will open in March;By the end of the year the revamped Ritz Hotel in Sea Point will have 220 rooms available.The 33-year-old Southern Sun Cape Sun has undergone a R250-million revamp of its 367 rooms...