Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) will open its first upper moderately-priced, European-designed Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Scotland in 2009 on Argyle Road, adjacent to Aberdeen Airport.
While this will be the second Marriott branded hotel in Aberdeen (Marriott International currently manages the Aberdeen Marriott Hotel), the hotel will, upon opening, be the first Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Scotland and only the second in the United Kingdom.
Forming part of a high quality, mixed-use commercial development, the hotel will be located within easy walking distance of the airport's main passenger terminal and within a short drive of Aberdeen city center. Also nearby are the United Kingdom headquarters of various large companies including British Petroleum and Halliburton.
The Courtyard by Marriott Aberdeen Airport will be an innovative hotel, offering quality service, functionality and style to travelers wanting consistent and dependable accommodation and amenities at a fair price.
'Our Courtyard guests are balancers-a new, hybrid breed of achievement and enjoyment travelers who actively manage the demands of their business life with their own demands for personal time. They are highly engaged and use all aspects of the hotel in their pursuit of a balanced life while on business or leisure travel,' said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of International Lodging at Marriott.
He added, 'We believe this product has terrific potential in the United Kingdom.
While it is not our normal approach, we are investing in and developing this particular hotel ourselves. As well as demonstrating our commitment to the brand, this will provide an ideal showcase for potential development and franchise partners. With its distinctive and fresh European flair, we predict the Courtyard by Marriott Aberdeen Airport will be an immediate hit with the traveling public. It will offer the right price-value balance while delivering the consistency of product and service for which Courtyard is world-renowned.'
The site upon which the hotel will be developed is being sold by BAA Lynton on behalf of the Airport Property Partnership, a 50/50 joint venture between Morley Fund Management and BAA Ltd. John O'Halloran, managing director at BAA Lynton, added,'With the United Kingdom's first Courtyard now under construction at BAA's London Gatwick Airport, we are delighted to be extending our relationship with Marriott and, in particular, the Courtyard brand. The brand is well-regarded and the hotel will certainly complement Aberdeen Airport's offering.'
The innovative and stylish bedrooms at the Courtyard by Marriott Aberdeen Airport will boast Marriott's new, highly-acclaimed, plush bedding and bath linens, and will be equipped with internet access, large well-lit work desks, ergonomic chairs for comfort, flat screen televisions, in-room safes and refrigerators, and coffee/tea making facilities.
For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have a contemporary and open plan lobby lounge and bar with a fireplace, and a casual, three-meal restaurant offering outdoor terrace seating. Twenty-four hour food and beverage service will be available at the lounge/bar to accommodate travelers arriving throughout the day and night.
Additional amenities at the hotel will include a business/internet center. a 'Marketplace' retail outlet in the lobby for snacks and sundries, a fitness center, an aircrew lounge, an oil crew lounge for those waiting transport to various off-shore oil platforms and on-site car parking.
For conferences and social events of various sizes, the hotel will have a flexible, 300 square meter meeting room that will be divisible into five sections.
Marriott introduced Courtyard in 1983. Since then, the brand has grown into the company's largest brand and the world's 13th largest lodging chain with nearly 800 hotels worldwide.
'Because traveler expectations for Courtyard vary geographically, we have gone to great lengths to design a hotel product that appeals to European travelers, including those in the United Kingdom. We have aggressive plans to roll out this hotel product throughout Europe,' Mr. Fuller said, indicating that Marriott identified in excess of 20 cities in urban, suburban and airport locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland where its Courtyard brand will be desirable and successful in serving the needs of business travelers.
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