I’m here at the Newport News, Virginia airport hotel where we just celebrated the 25th anniversary of our Courtyard brand. It was great day. We had a special guest leading the celebration, our CEO and chairman Bill Marriott. Rather than having me tell you all about it, let’s hear from our guest blogger, Bill Marriott. And, while you’re here, don’t forget to click on the Look to the Future tab above to see new videos.

“I’m blogging today from the brand new Courtyard by Marriott at the Newport News Airport in southeastern Virginia. Today we’re celebrating Courtyard’s 25th anniversary. We opened the first one in 1983 and there are a lot of alums here today who were at the first opening and who continued on with our company to today.

Since the very beginning, Courtyard has been a leader in the lodging industry, known for being innovative and specifically catering to the needs of business travelers. Twenty five years later, we’re still leading the pack. We’re continuing to grow, reinvent and innovate. We’re in more than 30 different countries now and we’ll have our 800th hotel open in 2009.

But this is really a different and exciting hotel. When you walk in the lobby, it’s a real “wow”. You get to see a lot of color, a lot of space, a brand new food and beverage operation, a new market where you can grab and go and take things with you when you leave to eat on the road or wherever you’re going.

I toured the property today and I was very impressed with the size and the expansion of the health club, the outdoor seating area where you have a fire pit, a beautiful indoor pool, a lot of meeting space and the guest rooms are just fabulous – over the top. Some of them are extended into nice suites that reach out over the driveway and are really very unique and creative.

You know, when we decided to do Courtyard, we did a little research. We asked our customers what they wanted and one million dollars of research funds, we found out they wanted a better room at a lower price. Courtyard still has the best rooms at the best price.

It was wonderful to celebrate this 25th anniversary with all those people who worked so hard to make the brand successful. Here’s to another 25 fantastic years!

I’m Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.”

At the end of the month, Courtyard will be celebrating its 25th anniversary at the Courtyard Newport News Airport in Virginia. It’s our first Courtyard to feature the new exterior look with the new lobby and guest room design. Last weekend, I paid the hotel a visit to take a look. The whole package is fantastic. The hotel really looks beautiful. But don’t just take my word for it – here’s a short video blog. It’s a sneak preview.

Thanks for helping me keep Courtyard on the go.

Brian