Clarion has received Marriott’s “Renovation Excellence Award” for the renovation of the Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center. The award honors companies that completed an on-time, complete scope-of-work renovation, resulting in an exemplary representation of the respective brand.
The Courtyard by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center is one of the 120 Courtyard by Marriott hotels acquired by the Clarion Hotels team in connection with the $1.5 billion recapitalization of CBM Joint Venture completed in 2005 on behalf of a separately managed account. These hotels are the original 120 Courtyard by Marriott hotels developed in the mid-1980’s and early 1990’s. Over the years, the hotels have undergone extensive interior renovations to create more upscale lobbies, attractive food & beverage areas and contemporary guest rooms; however, the exteriors are original and have delivered a somewhat disjointed brand value proposition to guests.
As the largest owner of Generation 1 Courtyard by Marriott hotels, Clarion worked with Marriott’s Courtyard brand managers and Baskervill, an architecture firm with extensive hotel expertise, to develop the reimaging program to modernize these exteriors. Marriott delivered high-level guidelines, but it was up to Clarion to work with Baskervill to bring the concept to life in a way that met Marriott’s brand standards and expectations in a cost-effective way. Because Clarion was on the leading edge of the program, the team was instrumental in determining how to deliver the project on-time and on-budget, identifying opportunities to make adjustments, and in refining details of how to deliver on the overall design concept.
Clarion’s ongoing feedback to Marriott has been utilized in rolling out the concept to other Generation 1 and Generation 2 Courtyard by Marriott hotels across the U.S. The project took five months to complete and resulted in not only a refreshed, modern exterior experience that matches the internal upgrades, but also delivered new landscaping, outdoor recreation and hotel entrance experiences for hotel guests. Clarion has completed 28 interior renovations and 19 exterior reimaging projects at the remaining 52 hotels in the Courtyard portfolio. All hotels are scheduled to complete renovations by 2024.
