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S Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R. Hume officially inaugurated the opening of the JW Marriott Hotel Medan in North Sumatra on Wednesday.

The five-star hotel is the third in its chain in the country and the 43rd in the world.Hume said he was impressed by the uniqueness of the Medan Marriott.

"I just thought I was attending an Oscar procession," he joked.

The ambassador added JW Marriott Medan would be able to compete with other hotels operating in the North Sumatra capital and could flourish amid the current global economic crisis.

He also said the Indonesian government had managed to face the crisis better than other countries in the region, raising expectations of a better investment climate in the future.

"The prospects for the hotel are very good. Moreover, the position of Medan is strategic. I'm sure whoever comes to Medan will come again to the city," Hume said.

North Sumatra Governor Syamsul Arifin expressed his appreciation to the business world for investing in the province.

He added he hoped the hotel would become an icon of North Sumatra, and urged the hotel to help contribute in creating more job opportunities.

"I'm sure the hotel will have more positive impacts on the province. I have told high-ranking officials in the government that the province is better prepared to hold national and international events with the hotel now in operation," he said.

Geoff Garside, JW Marriott Asia Pacific executive vice president, said the new hotel could contribute positively in the development of Medan, including in the education, social, cultural and environmental sectors.

He added the hotel employed 500 local residents, who made up 80 percent of the hotel's total employees.

"We're giving a wide chance for employees to support their families and alleviate them from poverty. We do not only take profit, but also help and give benefits to the local community," he said.

Garside also said JW Marriot was the first international player in the hotel business in Medan.

"Medan has great potential and we are becoming confident after entering the Jakarta and Surabaya markets."

He added JW Marriott was currently developing 23 other hotels in several countries and three more in the near future in India, Vietnam and Peru.

Garside admitted many had questioned why the chain would continue its expansion amid the current global crisis.

"Based on our experiences over the years, the crisis will end. We should work hard to reach the best result," he said.

He added the investment for the hotel was "very huge", but declined to name a figure. He was also reluctant to mention the target for the breakeven point (BEP) for the investment, saying only, "We would work hard to reach the BEP soon."