Marriott Courtyard is rolling out new re-designed lobbies to appeal especially to business travelers, and they reached out to me to see if I’d be willing to share it with my readers. The offer? I could give away 2 free nights at any Marriott Courtyard in the Continental U.S., and they’d give me free nights for myself as well.
As regular visitors to View from the Wing know, when I get offers like these my first question is, “Do you mind if I just give away those nights to my readers as well?” And the answer is almost universally yes. I’ll wind up checking out the new lobbies in the normal course of my travels, I don’t need the free nights, I much enjoy giving them away to readers instead.
So that’s the offer — I have 2 sets of 2 free nights at any Marriott Courtyard in the Continental U.S. to give away! (With apologies to my international readers with no plans to visit the United States.)
I’m not a Marriott Rewards elite member, but Marriott more than anything else is known for its consistency. They’re everywhere. Many towns, a Marriott Courtyard or similar is the top option in town which makes it really useful and sometimes you just need a reliable place to sleep near a meeting. It’s great to see them being thoughtful about how to be more than just a room while maintaining a mid-level price point (though indeed, in some cities like New York one could hardly consider the price point mid-level, but then it ought to be compared to most other options!).
Here’s Marriott’s 30 second spot promoting their new lobby:
They’re holding events through December 16 at BWI, Houston Intercontinental, and Phoenix airports to promote the lobbies… couches for relaxation, luggage tags to give away.
They’ve renovated about 500 properties with better lobbies to allow groups to congregate, prepare for meetings, etc. Here’s the list of properties that have the new lobbies They have more stations with powerports, and a touch screen information TV. They’ve adopted a standard Bistro coffee/sandwhich place that’s apparently doing well with double digit percentage gains in sales.
Here’s how to enter to win:
- Leave a comment in this post naming something you especially value in a hotel when on business travel.
- Normally I say “one entry per person” and more than one will disqualify you. This time we’ll try something new. You may enter as many times as you like, however you may not enter twice in a row meaning that you have to have at least one other person comment after you before adding another comment/entry.
- The contest will last until 12pm Eastern on December 12. I will draw two winners who will each receive the two free nights with the help of Random.org. Winners will be put in touch with Marriott’s representative to claim their prize.
All interpretations are mine and final and I have no liability in this, all rules imposed by Marriott and their representatives will apply. I’m passing along an opportunity and making this available to my readers, I’ve not taken any compensation for doing so, let’s all treat this in this spirit with which it’s intended. By entering you indicate your agreement. Thanks!
Any questions, ask away!
A feather/down pillow
terrycloth bathrobe
Free wi-fi
Late checkout
Clean, quiet and consistent are the most important items.
Let’s be honest…if I’m traveling on business I don’t care about free anything (wifi, parking, water, etc…) because it’s all covered by per diems of some sort. I care about opportunities to earn more points or free night. Go Green, skip house keeping, and earn points, skip the welcome amenity at Marriott and get points, etc….
a luggage stand in the room
Hot towel rack!
Free wifi, free welcome drink, free breakfast…gotta love it!
free water
Free breakfast~!
A gym
Donuts and coffee in the lobby is nice.
Complimentary toddler-sized shark cages.
A/V capabilities in the hotel room
I value having enough space in my room to function.
Free and fast wifi. Also a good comfy bed is great.
Delicious breakfast spread
Enough staff at the checkin desk.
In-room hot tub
What’s better than a mini-fridge? I rely on these for keeping my beverages cold and leftovers fresh (or at least edible) on multi-night trips — who has time to hit the ice machine down the hall?
Accepts American Express
Old fashioned bell at front desk.
The number one value for me is free internet.
Can cash a check
Floor to ceiling windows.
A good mirror
Hand-written thank you notes
Recycle bins.
A Microwave comes in handy….
Quality elevator muzak
Nuts in the mini-bar.
reclye bins in rooms
Leather-trimmed pad on desk.
A hot shower
Car rental at the hotel
Lots of pens in the rooms
Quiet fridge.
a free breakfast early (before 6 am)!
free water and free breakfast
Same-day laundry service.
Lots of polished brass
Wood accents all around.
Plentiful, accessible power outlets!
a plug next to the bed that’s not being used by the lamp/alarm clock
Consistency between different hotels in the chain as well as different rooms of the same level within a given hotel. (Differences may occur during renovation or construction efforts, but otherwise, I should be able to know what to expect when I book a given room type. Random plusses are fine, but the basics should always be the same so I can book accordingly.)
dvd players to use in the rooms
fast internet
A Bible.