What's Hot? Free Wifi and Marriott's Got It

Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 25, 2007

Today's fast-paced world demands mobile communications, but never at the expense of value. Five Marriott International (NYSE:MAR) brands including Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites, now offer guests free WiFi hotels in the U.S. and Canada. That's more than 1,500 hotspots, and that's pretty cool.

Having introduced free guest room high-speed and WiFi Internet access three years ago, these five Marriott brands are again responding to guests' needs, eliminating WiFi charges for guests in lobbies and other public areas. This means for on-the-go guests free WiFi hotels are a part of Marriott's overall package of services designed to enhance guests' experiences in the new lobby and public spaces being introduced by most of these brands. The multi-purpose, multi-functional, yet stylish, interiors are being designed for guests to work, relax and socialize, while offering greater access to technology, like free WiFi hotel hotspots.

Whether it is moderately priced select-service brands, like Courtyard, Fairfield Inn or SpringHill Suites, or extended-stay brands designed for lengthier visits, like Residence Inn or TownePlace Suites, each caters to a unique guest. Marriott International has identified a range of business travelers from the achievement guest who is the productivity-driven, savvy business traveler, to the lifestyle guest who makes time to take in the local culture and all the hotel has to offer while remaining productive.

•     After having launched the successful renovations of its guest rooms, Courtyard by Marriott is undertaking an ambitious project to enhance the guest experience in its lobbies, such as more technology, food options and social opportunities. While the Courtyard business traveler is primarily work-focused, they also enjoy getting out of their room to enjoy the locality, if time permits.
•     Fairfield Inn is home to purpose-driven travelers who are looking for their hotel to help them achieve their goals, whether they are business or personal. For them, Fairfield Inn's comfortable guest room and complementary hot breakfast are just right. Fairfield Inn remains focused on delivering what its guests value most: consistency, simplicity and control, and is introducing a new guest room design that will enable even greater productivity and enhancing the brand's breakfast offerings.
•     SpringHill Suites is rolling out a fresh, new guest experience from lobby and room design, to amenities that will appeal even more to its typical guest, the lifestyle traveler who enjoys business travel as an opportunity to experience new things. The brand combines style with space and light, airy guest rooms that are 25 percent larger than its competitors.
•     Residence Inn, the extended stay leader, is focused on a new lobby design and social activities that will help its guests - those away from home for up to weeks at a time - find balance and remain productive. The brand is also in the midst of rolling out its newest guest room design with stylish furnishings and stainless steel kitchen appliances.
•     TownePlace Suites primarily appeals to the travelers on long business trips who want the hotel to be their base of operations, enabling them to do things on their own. The new guest rooms offer larger moveable desks and ample storage areas so guests can create their own space. The new intuitive lobby design enables "do it yourself" guests to easily take care of themselves.

Each brand has an impressive number of hotels under development or construction, such as the first Fairfield Inn in Manhattan, a SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn in downtown Chicago, a TownePlace Suites in Boston and Courtyard in downtown Atlanta. As each new hotel is unveiled, the number of free WiFi hotel hotspots for guests will continue to grow.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 2,900 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at http://www.marriott.com.

###

Share: