Marriott International has unveiled a new design for its European Courtyard by Marriott properties.
Forthcoming hotels in Aberdeen and Cologne are set to debut the new concept.
Brand standards include a 42-inch LCD TV, empty fridges rather than minibars, and an oval glass workdesk with ergonomic chair.
Going forward all rooms and public spaces will be equipped with wifi (there is no wired internet access), and bathrooms will feature large walk-in showers.
Lobby areas will feature a 24-hour shop with snacks including salads and sandwiches, seating areas with a “deep blue and green” décor and “media pod” seating booths with individual TVs.
An interactive GoBoard – a touchscreen TV allowing guests to access local information, weather forecasts and maps – will also be rolled out in the reception areas.
The new prototype Courtyard hotel for Europe has been based around a 170-room property (which can be scaled up or down depending on location), featuring 22sqm rooms, a fitness centre, “modest” meeting facilities measuring around 47sqm, and an all-day bistro restaurant.
The majority of Marriott’s 900-odd existing Courtyard properties are in the US, and the group said it had adapted the new concept to fit the European market, where there are around 45 properties.
Existing properties will be converted to the new design “within their normal renovation cycle”, so it may be some years before the entire European portfolio is updated.
The first new-build hotels to feature the design will be the 194-room Courtyard by Marriott Aberdeen, and the 230-room Courtyard by Marriott Cologne, both of which are scheduled to open in 2013.
Marriott says it is also close to signing agreements for new properties in cities including Belgrade, Amsterdam and Munich.
www.courtyard.com