A Company Profile

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Aleppo is the main tourist destination in Syria. Home to the Martini family, the promotion of this magnificent city became a primary duty that led to the establishment of Martini Tourism in 1993. The company has since played a major role in developing the domestic tourism infrastructure and promoting Aleppo internationally.

The first step was taken with the purchase of an old residential home, Dar Zamaria, in the historical Jedaidah quarters in 1991. This beautiful Islamic courtyard house was converted into a four star hotel and was open for business in 1997. The new owners of Dar Zamaria were well aware from the beginning of the importance of preserving the unique cultural heritage of the house and developed a strategy to ensure the fragile balance between old and new is maintained. The house was restored to its original state though with added comfort features, such as private bathrooms, satellite television, phone lines and central air conditioning.

Realizing an old dream, the Martinis inadvertently launched a new trend of converting old buildings in Aleppo’s old city into hotels and restaurants. The debut of Dar Zamaria before long proved successful and the company soon after realized the need for expansion. The company thus bought the neighboring house and connected it to Dar Zamaria with a bridge like path in 2000, thus adding eight rooms. Today, Dar Zamaria can receive guests in 22 rooms that were once the private residential quarters of the buildings.

Dining is an inseparable component of the hospitality industry and when in Aleppo do as the Aleppines do; dine and mingle. Serving traditional cuisine and ambiance, Dar Zamaria’s restaurants proved a blossoming business in their own right and the company today can add the Al-Khan, Syrian style fast food restaurant across the citadel, to its menu.

The Martini Co. has recently purchased two courtyard buildings in the neighborhood and added them to its chain of hotels. The new buildings are currently undergoing restoration and will be open in early 2005.

Apart from catering to cultural tourism, the Martini Company has plans for building a five star hotel complex that includes 120 rooms, 10 suites, and a commercial complex of 50 shops and other facilities in the southern entrance of the city.

Eng. Rami Martini, founder of Martini Tourism, was elected as a member of the Aleppo Chamber of Tourism, which was established 2004.