Courtyard by Marriott is a brand of hotels owned by Marriott International. Courtyard by Marriott is designed for business travelers but also accommodates families. Its rooms have desks, couches, and free Internet access. The majority of locations have a bistro which sell fresh cooked and prepared breakfast,(not complimentary) appetizers, sandwiches, and more. All have 24-hour "mini-marts."
It competes with other mid-priced business-oriented hotels like Cambria Suites, Wingate Inn and Hilton Garden Inn.
History
In the early 1980s Marriott was having trouble finding locations suitable for their parent brand Marriott. The company decided to create a new brand to attract customers who were not satisfied with their current selection. Courtyard was created to target frequent business travelers and pleasure travelers. The brand focused on smaller properties in lower demand areas. The chain grew from three test sites in 1983 to over 90 hotels in 1987.
The first location was built in 1983 in Atlanta and was Marriott's first sister brand. The brand was always meant to target business travelers. However, over the years, it has come to cater to the leisure traveler, too. Most now have a swimming pool or fitness center, microwaves and mini-fridges for rent, and family rates. Many properties have a mini-fridge in every room and usually have a complimentary guest microwave in The Market. Usually, microwaves are found in suite rooms.
Marriott International spent $2 billion in the mid-1980s on building out the Courtyard by Marriott chain in order to target Holiday Inn's clientele.
In 2007, Marriott started its Refreshing Business Initiative to renovate the Courtyard properties to better target business travelers based on consumers needs. Renovations included a redesigned lobby, a bar with longer service hours allowing guests to be more social, and an increased revenue.
Till end of June 2017, there are 1145 Courtyard Marriott Hotels worldwide.
In 2017, a Courtyard Marriott Hotel became the first American chain hotel to open on the Island of Bonaire, and through a partnership with local dive shop chain, Dive Friends Bonaire, became the first Courtyard hotel in the world to have an onsite scuba diving shop.
References
External links
- Courtyard website
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