Marriott International will bring its eponymous brand to the Balkan nation of Macedonia in the capital city Skopje this year.

Set to open in May 2016, the Marriott Skopje will include a 500sq m (5,382sq ft) spa.

“This is an exciting project which combines the best of contemporary, western spa traditions with the locale,” Alison Ainsworth, senior director of golf, leisure and spa operations for Marriott in Europe, told Spa Business.

The spa will include five treatment rooms, a swimming pool, whirlpool, four saunas – herbal, steam, Finnish and infrared – as well as relaxation areas. The spa manager is Anja Lubarda.

The nine-floor hotel includes 143 bedrooms and 21 suites, as well as a fitness centre, and will be located in the city square near the Stone Bridge, which represents the connection between Skopje’s past and present.

Interior design of the public areas, including the spa, is by French architect and designer Jean-Philippe Nuel, who has also designed the first Baccarat Hotel in Dubai and the boutique le Grand Balcon Hotel in Toulouse.