Marriott to introduce its Courtyard brand in Japan

Asia-Pacific

The Courtyard by Marriott hotel brand will be introduced to the Japanese travel market in April, 2007 under a franchise agreement reached with Tobu Hotel Management Company, said Ed Fuller…

The Courtyard by Marriott hotel brand will be introduced to the Japanese travel market in April, 2007 under a franchise agreement reached with Tobu Hotel Management Company, said Ed Fuller, president & managing director-international lodging for Marriott International.

Under the agreement, the existing 206-room Renaissance Tokyo Hotel Ginza Tobu will be converted to the Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza Hotel in connection with an extensive renovation program.

Marriott’s Courtyard brand is the company’s moderately-priced, select service brand that has long been referred to as “the hotel designed for business travelers by business travelers.”

“We are excited to introduce Courtyard in Japan,” Mr. Fuller said. “Because of the changing requirements of the Japanese and international business traveler, we are confident that this Courtyard will be enormously successful.”

Mr. Fuller noted that the hotel caters largely to an international customer base, most of which come from the United States, where Courtyard is widely-known and has been a perennial favorite among business travelers for almost 25 years.

He explained that Marriott views “the guest room and its amenities as the key to success for most business travelers, especially those in the moderate sector. Our Courtyard guests want their accommodations to be enough like home to provide comfort, security and escape while also enabling them to stay on top of their work requirements and to have easy access to connectivity.”

“They want public space and amenities to be inviting and accommodating to their needs, enabling them to gather socially and for work. In the end, our goal with Courtyard is to help make these guests feel comfortable, welcomed and productive at a reasonable price.”

As currently planned, the extensive renovation program will be conducted in stages.

Moto Onuki, representative president for Tobu Hotel Management Company, said, “the Renaissance Tokyo Hotel Ginza Tobu is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. To mark this occasion, Tobu Hotel Management Company, Ltd. has decided to undergo an extensive renovation program. Sixty percent of our guests come from abroad and, by renewing our franchise agreement with Marriott as well as by re-flagging the hotel to the Courtyard brand, we are confident that we will be able to further strengthen our international awareness, especially in the U.S. market.”

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