Brian's Blog: HDTVs in Courtyard Hotels

Not too long ago, I told you about the updates we are making to our Courtyard guest rooms. One of these updates is adding high definition flat screen TVs to all our rooms. Technology has been advancing rapidly, especially in the past few years. Flat panel HDTVs have been around for awhile now and we’ve already been installing them in some of our hotels, but now we’re really picking up the pace. Our goal is to have them in place at all of our Courtyard hotels by the end of 2009.

The new flat panel HDTVs will be replacing those big, bulky analog TVs with the huge backs. Each HDTV will be at least 32 inches and every Courtyard will offer at least 35 channels, with at least 14 of those in high def.

Not only do these new TVs allow you to see your favorite shows with remarkable clarity, they also free up a lot more space in the guest rooms. Those big analog TVs used to be the focal point in the guest room because they were so large and took up so much space. Now, with the new flat screens, the TV is still the focal point in the room – not because it’s so big, but because of its sleek, high tech design. Also, it gives our Marriott designers a chance to starting thinking about the room differently; more space may mean newer furniture designs to make the room even more functional in the future.

Our goal at Courtyard is to ensure our guests have the latest in technology when they’re staying with us. We know that many of our guests have HDTVs in their homes today, so we want to make sure they have one when they’re on the road too.

Thanks for helping me keep Courtyard on the go.

Brian

Courtyard Norman, Okla.

Courtyard Norman, Oklahoma
770 Copperfield Dr.
Norman, Oklahoma 73072
(405) 701-8900

Brian's Blog: Middle East Expansion

Just a few weeks ago, Marriott announced that we will be more than doubling the number of hotels we have in the Middle East by 2011. On top of that, it was just announced that Marriott will be managing nine more new hotels in Saudi Arabia starting in 2010. I’m really excited because one third of these new Saudi Arabian properties are going to be Courtyards. It’s a real testament to the global power of the brand.

The new Courtyards will be located in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. All will feature the brand’s new, modern design and its high standards of quality and service.

I’m really excited to see Courtyard expanding so rapidly in the Middle East. We already have a few Courtyards in the region in cities like Dubai, Kuwait City and one coming early next year in Doha, Qatar. And now that business travel and tourism is booming in that part of the world, we are going to be adding more and more.

I was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in 2007 and was able to see for myself the tremendous growth. The skies of Dubai were filled with cranes as far at the eye could see. There is such an atmosphere of excitement and energy in these markets as travelers from around the globe are discovering the region’s cultures for the first time.

And the region is home to some of our top hotels. Our team at the Courtyard Dubai Green Community is led by our General Manage Elaine Watson whose hotel was not only named our International Hotel of the Year in 2007, but she was honored as our International General Manager of the Year. Elaine and her team are very deserving of these awards. They consistently provide stellar service to the guests, give back to their community and do everything they can to go ‘green’ and protect the environment.

Courtyard’s international presence is growing very rapidly. I’ll be sure to keep you updated as the brand continues to expand!

Thanks for helping me keep Courtyard on the go.

Brian

Brian's Blog: 'It's A New Stay' at Courtyard Hotels

By now, I’m sure many of you have seen the new Courtyard commercial on TV. It seems to be everywhere! Our brilliant marketing team put a lot of hard work into it and I’m really proud and happy about how it turned out.

This new ad campaign signals a different approach for Courtyard because we’re using a new tagline – “It’s a new stay.” This is the first time that slogan hasn’t referred to “business travelers.” In the past, the phrase that was most commonly associated with Courtyard was “The first hotel designed for the business traveler, by the business traveler.”

Our new tagline couldn’t be more accurate. It really is a new stay for our guests at Courtyard. They get to experience the newly redefined lobby, a new guest room design, more appealing outdoor spaces and enhanced technological capabilities like free WiFi in our public spaces.

And all of this is shown in the new TV commercial. It begins with a man working on his lap top his room which features the new design package. As the background changes behind him, it shows him continuing to work in the new lobby and even outdoors. The commercial really does a great job of showing the new design elements of the Courtyard brand, while also demonstrating how guests can get out their room and still work wirelessly.

It shows that we’ve taken notice and learned from our research how guests have changed and what they want from a hotel. They want flexibility, choice, and a nice atmosphere to work and play. At Courtyard, they get all of that. They have the flexibility to choose where they want to work now that we feature free WiFi in our public spaces. They can sit in one of our media booths inside while grabbing a quick bite, or they can even take their work outside with them while enjoying a drink.

If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, I’ve posted it below, so please take a look.

Thanks for helping me keep Courtyard on the go.

Brian

Courtyard Boynton Beach, Fla.

Courtyard Boynton Beach
1601 North Congress Avenue
Boynton, Beach, Fla.
(561) 737-4600

Courtyard Victorville Hesperia, Calif. (new hotel)

Courtyard Victorville Hesperia
9619 Mariposa Road
Hersperia, Calif. 92345
(760) 956-3876

Courtyard San Diego Mission Valley/Hotel Circle, Calif.

Courtyard San Diego Mission Valley/Hotel Circle
595 Hotel Circle South
San Diego, California 92108
(619) 291-5720

Courtyard Jackson, Tenn. (new hotel)

Courtyard Jackson
6280 Ridgewood Court Drive
Jackson, Tennessee 39211
(601) 956-9991