Approximately a 10-minute drive from the historic city centre of Toulouse, the Courtyard by Marriott Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport hotel is expected to attract business travellers drawn to Toulouse, a major industrial and R&D centre, specializing in aeronautical engineering, biotechnology and information technology.

Courtyard is a highly specialized hotel that serves travellers who want consistent and dependable accommodations and amenities that help them make the most of their time on the road. Courtyard guests are balancers—a new, hybrid breed of achievement and enjoyment travellers who actively manage the demands of their business life with their own demands for personal time.

Because traveller expectations for Courtyard vary geographically, Marriott introduced a specially-designed Courtyard hotel for the upper moderate European travel market two years ago in Colombes, a suburb of Paris. “It has been well-received by the travelling public and we plan to open many of these hotels throughout Europe in coming years,” Mr. Sorenson said.

Accommodations at the Courtyard by Marriott Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport will boast Marriott’s new, highly-acclaimed, plush bedding and bath linens; and will be equipped with two telephone lines; internet access; a well-lit, over-sized work desk and ergonomic chair for comfort, an in-room safe and refrigerator, a coffee maker and an iron and ironing board.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have an all-day casual restaurant offering outdoor patio seating, a buffet bar and a lobby lounge and bar.

Additional amenities will include a business centre in the lobby Internet corner, a Grab & Go kiosk providing snacks and sundries for those in a hurry, and a fitness centre.

For small conferences and social events, the hotel will have 82 square meters of meeting space comprised of a 50-square meter room and a 32-square meter room.

The Courtyard by Marriott brand is currently represented in France with properties in Neuilly and Colombes, a western suburb of Paris near La Defense; and at Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

Courtyard hotels are currently under construction in Europe at London Gatwick Airport in England, at Kristiansund International Airport in Norway and in Stockholm-Kungsholmen in Sweden.