Four Courtyards drive Marriott growth in Thailand

BANGKOK – With the opening of four Courtyard by Marriott hotels over the next six months, Marriott International has pledged to make family travel more affordable at two of Thailand’s most popular holiday destinations—Phuket and Hua Hin.

At the same time, the four openings will bring Marriott’s portfolio to 11 operating hotels and resorts in Thailand with another seven hotels and resorts planned to open through 2010.

Offering a total of 1,078 rooms, the four opening Courtyard properties are:

– 399-room Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Patong Beach, opening 2nd quarter 2008.

– 256-room Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Surin Beach, opening 1st quarter 2008.

– 180-room Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Kamala Beach, opening 2nd quarter 2008.

– 243-room Courtyard by Marriott Hua Hin at Cha-Am Beach, opening 2nd quarter 2008.

All are conversions of existing hotels and are currently undergoing extensive renovations designed to make them appealing to upper-moderate- and lower-upscale-minded travelers.

“We are really excited about these four hotels,” said John Toomey, Marriott’s area marketing director for Hong Kong, Macau & Southeast Asia.

“We are also excited by the recent phenomenal growth and popularity of our lodging brands in Thailand,” he continued.

“By the end of 2010, we will be able to offer travellers a choice of 18 hotels throughout Thailand—from our JW Marriott luxury brand, our deluxe Marriott and Renaissance hotels, Courtyard and our Marriott Executive Apartments brand for extended stay travellers.

“In Phuket, in particular, we are experiencing sensational growth,” Toomey said.

The JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, the three Courtyard hotels and Marriott Vacation Club International will be joined later in 2008 by the Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa at Kamala Cove and, by 2010, by the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa.

“In very short order, we expect to be the largest international lodging brand company represented in one of the world’s foremost holiday destinations,” Toomey added.

A primary attraction at all four opening Courtyard hotels will be their Kids Clubs offering a full array of sports and cultural activities from an arts and crafts studio, a science lab, a computer room, a “pretend” costume/dress up area to cooking classes.

Children will also be able to enjoy a kids-sized movie theatre and the Ball House, a place for them to jump and play surrounded by hundreds of mini-balls, while parents will be offered baby-sitting services to let them get away and enjoy the destination on their own for a few hours.