Source: Marriott
Source: Marriott

Marriott International's respected Courtyard by Marriott brand is opening its second new-look hotel in Cologne, Germany, on 31 March 2014, taking the brand to 45 hotels throughout Europe. Delivering a whole new hotel experience for business travellers, Courtyard's new European design, introduced at Courtyard Aberdeen Airport Hotel in 2013, is designed to enhance productivity with a greater focus on technology and style.

Courtyard by Marriott guestroomThe opening of the 236-room Courtyard Cologne takes the brand one

step closer to reaching its 1000th hotel worldwide this year. In the past few years, the brand has embarked on a journey to refresh business travel, with a lobby transformation in the United States and a customised product for four different regions including Europe, which has exceeded performance expectations since launching in Aberdeen.

The Courtyard Cologne is prominently located in the heart of the Kunibertsviertel neighbourhood on the

former Afri-Cola® grounds, with Cologne Cathedral, the RhineRiver and a range of shops and restaurants nearby. Its spacious guest rooms include multiple, accessible power outlets making plugging in easy whilst the design of the hotel is fresh and contemporary with locally inspired furnishings.

The dynamic lobby space features free Wi-Fi, flexible seating for working, meeting or socialising and an

interactive GoBoard® screen with the latest news, weather and local information. A 24-hour market and "Eat.Drink.Connect" Bistro offer a range of meals, snacks and drinks.

"We are excited to introduce a new Courtyard hotel to Cologne, demonstrating our commitment to

offering guests a relevant and refreshed hotel experience," said Amy McPherson, President and Managing Director, Marriott International, Europe. "We have a strong pipeline for the brand with openings planned forPoland, The Netherlands and Russia in the next couple of years."

Mr Alexander Flach, Owner and Director of Blumhoffer Hotelbesitz Dagobertstrasse GmbH & Co KG

added: "The Courtyard Cologne is our first hotel investment and our pride and joy, situated at this historic location right at the heart of Cologne. We are excited to be working with such an experienced and well-established company as Marriott International and are looking forward to a successful future together."

After recently celebrating its 30th anniversary and now with almost 1000 hotels, Courtyard by Marriott

is the 12th largest global hotel brand*. This year saw the high profile and much acclaimed launch of Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott New York Manhattan/Central Park - the tallest hotel in North America. For more information, visit www.courtyard.com

*source MKG Hospitality

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,100 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website, and for the latest company news, visit Marriott News Center. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.