When you travel from the Kochi International Airport, on VIP Road, you are immediately struck by a two-storeyed building with gleaming window panes on the right side. This is the Marriott Group’s first venture in Kerala: the Courtyard by Marriott, Kochi Airport. “We are aiming to be the city’s finest luxury hotel,” says hotel manager Prakash Jayadevan. “The Courtyard is the flagship property of Marriott International in Kerala. With this property we want to introduce to the Kerala market the upscale hospitality and refreshing service provided by the Marriott brand.”
There are 108 spacious rooms, with contemporary décor. Of these, seven are suites, 22 are twin rooms while the rest are King Rooms. State-of-the-art facilities include 40” LED TV, modern amenities such as a tea/coffee maker, iron and ironing board, electronic safes, and rooms with interconnecting access. There is also high-speed Internet all over the hotel.
The hotel also offers expansive meeting spaces for small scale meetings and social events. “There is over 1500sq ft of meeting space, state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities, wired and wireless connectivity and video conference add value to any event booking in the premises,” says Jayadevan.
Meanwhile, if you don’t want to skip your timely food intake there are several outlets. There is a multi-cuisine/all-day dining restaurant: MoMo Café. The coffee shop is situated at the lobby itself. It also has a private dining area for eight people. ‘MoMo to Go’, the ‘Grab and go outlet’ is open 24 hours. You can get pastries, sandwiches, salads, as well as everyday provisions, such as packaged drinks, and packaged food products. It will have a seating area for 30 people. Being the first of its kind, ‘Grab and go outlet’, the travellers could easily enjoy their favourite dishes in a short time. There will also be a 24 hour in room facility for serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And for those who are stressed out, there are ways to unwind. There is a swimming pool, as well as a health centre. The exercise room comprises cardiovascular equipments, free weights, treadmills, elliptical trainers, bikes and weight training machines.
Asked about the type of customers, they would be expecting, Jayadevan says, “With the rise in corporate tourism in the state, the city has witnessed an increase in the traffic inflow of leisure and corporate travellers. Today, Kerala is becoming a preferred MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) destination.”
And Jayadevan is confident Kochi is going to be an established metro in the near future. “Every metro has its own distinct features and beauty,” he says. “Kochi is a developing market. Soon, it will become a corporate hub in south India. Unlike Mumbai or Chennai, Kochi has retained its natural beauty.”
The Courtyard by Marriott is a brand of Marriott International Inc, a company, with a turnover of $13 billion, and an employee strength of 1,50,000. The company runs 3500 hotels worldwide. Some of its brand name hotels include the Marriott Hotel & Resorts, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari. To know more, check out www.marriott.com