Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) will open a Courtyard-branded hotel in Hyderabad, India, in 2009 under a management agreement reached with an affiliate of Viceroy Hotels Limited. When opened, the hotel will be the second Marriott International property in Hyderabad and the fifth Courtyard-branded hotel in India.
The hotel will be called the Courtyard by Marriott Hyderabad and will be located approximately 10 minutes from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. It will be linked with the Hyderabad Marriott by an enclosed, landscaped bridge. Most guestrooms will have views of Hussain Sagar Lake. Maps Design is the architect for the hotel; Lim, Teo & Wilkes Design Works has been retained as the interior designer.
“We are excited to be expanding our existing relationship with Viceroy Hotels Limited on this project and to have the opportunity to introduce our award-winning Courtyard brand to the Hyderabad market,” said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International.
Mr. Fuller said that Courtyard is Marriott’s largest lodging brand with more than 700 properties and has earned accolades in the 20 countries in which it is located. He said that the brand is the result of more than two years of in-depth market research that probed traveler needs and interests in lodging markets around the world.
“Over the years, our Courtyard brand has evolved to reflect changing customer preferences and, today, it is a hotel chain that easily adapts to, and reflects, regional tastes wherever it is located. We are confident that the Courtyard by Marriott Hyderabad will be an instant success with business and leisure travelers to Hyderabad,” he said.
Courtyard-branded guest rooms are generally larger than those offered by other hotels in its category. They feature oversized work desks, two telephones, a data-port, high-speed Internet access, an in-room safe and in-room coffee service.
For dining and entertainment, the Courtyard by Marriott Hyderabad will have a casual restaurant and lounge. The hotel will also have executive-level guestrooms with access to an executive lounge. Recreational amenities will include an exercise room and an outdoor swimming pool. Other amenities will include a business center and a “Grab and Go” sundry shop.
For social events and conferences, the hotel will have 160 square meters of space comprised of three individual meeting rooms in varying configurations.
The Marriott International portfolio in India currently consists of the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai; the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Center; the Lakeside Chalet Marriott Executive Apartments in Mumbai; the Goa Marriott Resort Panjim; and the Courtyard by Marriott Chennai.
Later this month, the 297-room Hyderabad Marriott Hotel is scheduled to open. In 2008, the 250-room JW Marriott Hotel Bangalore, the 199-room Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon and the 210-room Courtyard by Marriott Noida are planned to open. In 2009, the 250-room Courtyard by Marriott Kolkata is also slated to open.
Elsewhere in Asia, Courtyard by Marriott properties are scheduled to open in Beijing, Bangkok and Manukau City (New Zealand) through 2008.
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Marriott International, Inc. is a leading lodging company with ore than 2,700 lodging properties in 66 countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill suites, TownePlace Suites and Fairfield Inn brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, The Ritz-Carlton Club, Grand Residences by Marriott and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments, provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; operates conference centers; and manages golf courses. The company is headquartered in metropolitan Washington, D.C. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best places to work by Fortune magazine. In fiscal year 2005, the company reported sales from continuing operations of $11.6 billion and the company had approximately 143,000 employees as yearend 2005. For more information and reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com
