Marriot opens brand new resort, an hour’s drive from Delhi

Marriott International recently opened their 131st hotel in the country – the Courtyard by Marriott Aravali Resort, an hour’s drive from Delhi.

The 158-room hotel is the first Courtyard by Marriott resort in the country and only the third in the world, the other two being in Bali in Nusa Dua and Seminyak. While the Courtyard by Marriott brand is primarily a business hotel found in city centres and near airports, the extension of the brand to a resort is something Marriott is exploring.

“We have seen that there is a market for resorts. It’s not the high-end St Regis kind of customer but there is a huge population in the mid-range segment that wants to have a resort experience but one which is affordable and efficient. So that’s how the Courtyard resort concept came about. In India it’s the first one we are trying. We will use this as a blueprint in other markets to see how we can grow Courtyard resorts in other markets,” says Arun Kumar, Market Vice President – North India, Nepal and Bhutan, Marriott International. This is the 24th Courtyard by Marriott in India. The brand is present in 1,250 locations in 60 countries across the globe.

Kumar also said that there is a new market developing for properties that are within driving distance of big cities. So while it is good to open resorts in the hills or near beaches, there is also a demand for properties on the outskirts of cities.

Courtyard by Marriott Aravali Resort is the first hospitality venture of R.C. Juneja, chairman of Mankind Pharma. “This is a passion project. It’s taken four years to construct. We are looking at more hospitality projects,” says Juneja.

Kumar says that in India as well as globally Marriott has made a comeback. “We will exceed 2019 levels in Q4 this year. Pan India, the market is growing. We have not seen a slowdown in either the number of signings or the business level at this stage. It can, of course, change,” he says.  Marriott signed 18 deals in 2021. Kumar says they will cross 200 hotels in the next five years.

Of the 30 global brands, 16 Marriott brands are present in India. While all the brands are growing, Kumar says most developers want a JW Marriott. “Every developer wants a JW Marriott. They all saw the Juhu property and said this is what I want,” he laughs.

However, it is important for Kumar to do expectation management of the developers. “For instance, if someone in Ludhiana calls me and says we want to open a St Regis in Ludhiana, I will be shy to sign a St Regis in Ludhiana. Our team will advise them to open a Fairfield or a Courtyard. See how it goes. The investment and returns will make sense. That is how we manage expectations,” he says.

The group is looking at expanding in tier II and tier III towns. “We are looking at expanding into smaller towns. For instance, in Amritsar, we already have two hotels there and we are opening a Le Meridien there. Punjab as a market is very big for us. Uttaranchal is also growing. We are also in a lot of discussions in Madhya Pradesh,” says Kumar.