London –17 November, 2011– Marriott International (NYSE:MAR) today unveiled an innovative new European design model for its upper-moderate Courtyard by Marriott brand and announced plans to significantly grow the brand across Europe. Over the last 18 months, Marriott has conducted extensive customer research and market analysis in order to create the new Courtyard concept designed to appeal to the European traveller.  The first two hotels to debut the new design will be the 194-room Courtyard by Marriott Aberdeen and the 230-room room Courtyard by Marriott Cologne the company announced today. Both hotels are scheduled to open in 2013.
 
Amy McPherson, president and managing director of Marriott International in Europe said, “Within the mid-tier hotel category our research has shown that European guests are looking for fresh, simple, contemporary design as well as great value.  As 70% of our business in Europe comes from Europe, it is critical we adapt our brands to be locally relevant and meet the needs of European travellers.  With a stylish new design and room functionality, we are confident that we have created a model that our guests will love.” McPherson added, “The new design is also a more economically viable and efficient model for owners to build and operate. As the largest lodging market in the world, but with only 30% branded supply, Europe presents a significant opportunity for owners and investors to embrace the benefits of size and scale of a global brand like Courtyard. We are confident the new European Courtyard model will be a major contributor to our goal of reaching 80,000 rooms in Europe by end of 2015 and a real win-win for developers and guests alike.”
 
The Courtyard  by Marriott European prototype model is based on a 170-room, six level hotel situated on a 5,835 square meter site, with a flexible design that may be scaled up or down to meet market or site conditions.  
 
The Guestroom
A spacious oasis boasting clean lines, natural  light, and a mediterranean color palette, the guestroom is thoughtfully designed to be a haven for business travellers where they can be productive and restore their energy while on the road. Guests are able to create the room they need with a flexible furniture layout. Guestrooms boast a 42-inch LCD HD television, ample work space, task lighting and multiple, accessible outlets making plugging in easy. The spa-like bathroom features a light-reflecting frosted glass door and corner wall highlithed with teak accents.
 
Public Space
Extraordinary thought was put in to the public space of the new model to support the business traveller’s needs for dining, meeting and socializing. The décor is based on deep blues and greens reminiscent of the rich colors found in the embroidered textiles of Europe and the magnificent blue water of its seas. Throughout the hotel indigenous materials such as European stones and woods will also be utilized. Both stylish and functional, the contemporary lobbyoffers flexible seating, an interactive GoBoard™ screen featuring the latest news, weather and local information and a 24-hour market for grab-and-go salads and sandwiches. Each Courtyard will also feature an all-day bistro restaurant with menu items adapted to local tastes and demand.

Introduced in 1983 and now with over 900 hotels, Courtyard by Marriott is the 11th largest global hotel brand*. In addition to the new European prototype, the brand will unveil a new Asian inspired design for the Chinese traveler later this year. For more information, visit www.courtyard.com
*source MKG Hospitality

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NOTE:  The statement about the number of rooms to be added in Europe by 2015 is a “forward looking statement" within the meaning of federal securities laws, not a historical fact, and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the continuation and pace of the economic recovery; supply and demand changes for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of capital to finance hotel growth and refurbishment; and other risk factors identified in our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q; any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by our statement.  This statement is made as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.