WASHINGTON -- Marriott International officially opened its 500th
Courtyard by Marriott property, 17 years after the brand's debut.
The milestone hotel is in Hannover, Germany, and represents the
Marriott brand's 40th international property. Courtyard's first
hotel opened in Atlanta in 1983, and it is the first Marriott brand
to hit the 500-property mark.
But Marriott will not let the chain rest on its laurels; the
brand expects to add another 35 hotels by the end of this year and
more than 50 next year.
"Five hundred properties signifies that we are in most places,
and we continue to grow," said Craig Lambert, senior vice president
of select service brands.
In Marriott terminology, the "select service brands" are
Courtyard, SpringHill Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites. The
company also prefers to use "select service" rather than "limited
service."
More and more, Courtyard growth will be international. Marriott
plans to have more than 90 international Courtyard properties by
the end of 2004, which, according to Lambert, will mean that
international development will account for about half of the
brand's growth.
Lambert said Marriott's belief is that Courtyard could become
the "global leader in midscale lodging."
Already, the chain has some international distribution. The
Hannover property is the 12th Courtyard in Germany, and there are
seven Courtyards in China and 10 Courtyards in the U.K.
Design changes are also on the agenda for Courtyard.
The company conducted customer research and trend analysis,
among other things, as a basis for a complete makeover of the
chain's public areas.
Most Courtyards, particularly older properties, have very
similar public areas. The new design will be rolled out throughout
the chain, at the rate of about 20 to 30 properties a year. All new
hotels will incorporate the design, as well.
The prototype for the new public areas is at a Courtyard in Fair
Oaks, Va., near Richmond.
The goal of the redesign was to update the look and make it more
relevant to business travelers.
But the core credo of Courtyard will remain: "enable the guests
to do what they want to do when they want to do it," , according to
Lambert.
Public areas will be changed to present a brighter, more open
space. The front desk, which previously trapped employees behind
the counter, will be scaled down, enabling employees easier access
to public areas.
The idea, according to Lambert, is to allow workers more
mobility so they can serve customers in all sections of the public
space.
Those sections include a business library, which has
workstations furnished with power outlets, high-speed data ports
and ergonomic seating, and a 24-hour pantry area where guests can
buy pre-made sandwiches and salads.
The redesign also provides sitting areas that can be used for
work or dining.
Lambert said hotels in key locations and properties that are due
for a renovation will convert to the new design. He cited hotels in
San Jose, Calif., and Bellevue, Wash., near Microsoft headquarters,
as examples.
Guest rooms are also slated for some changes, but Lambert said a
redesign wouldn't start until early next year.