World’s 1,000th Courtyard by Marriott Opens in Agra, Eyes Business Plus Leisure Segments

THE WORLD 1,000th Courtyard by Marriott has opened in Agra, just five minutes away from the Taj Mahal, and to kick-off the global celebration of this milestone, the businessman’s hotel is throwing a bash presided over by Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President (South Asia), Mariott International, on February 19. Located at Taj Nagri, Phase-II, Fatehabad Road, the minimally designed four-storey hotel has 189 rooms, including 18 suites.

The newbie hotel’s website, www.courtyardagra.com, positions it as a property with facilities for both corporate and leisure travellers. It offers complimentary high-speed internet connections (wired and wireless) in every room and public areas and a well-equipped business centre for travelling executives and entrepreneurs.

For the leisure traveller, the hotel has a spa and it offers access to the Agra Golf Club greens, 24-hour room service and a coffee-maker in each room. It also has 9,000 square feet of indoor banqueting space plus lawns stretching up to 25,000 square feet as well as dedicated support teams for weddings and corporate events.

Its food and beverage offerings include its international restaurant brand, MoMo Caf- (MoMo stands for ’modern living, modern dining’), and MoMo To Go; Anise, the barbecue restaurant; and the Onyx Bar.

To hook potential guests, especially domestic weekend travellers, in a city where competition is intense and where international tourists are loath to stay overnight, the hotel has announced a slew of deals, including one where children get to have three meals a day in the hotel for free.

Courtyard by Marriott is one of seven brands of the US-based Marriott International present in India. Last year, in an interview with the Economic Times, Marriott International’s Menon had said: ’We see opportunity for our two brands ’ Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield ’ to grow aggressively in the country. They have locational advantage as they can be opened in Tier II and III cities.’ He has also added that the country will have 60-70 operating hotels under the Marriott banner by 2017-18.