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MARRIOTT TO OPEN COURTYARD HOTEL IN LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK
Hotel to Offer Marriott’s New, Luxurious Bedding
 

 WASHINGTON – (Month) XX, 2006 – Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is scheduled to open the 96-room Courtyard by Marriott in Lake Placid, New York this December.  Located at 5920 Cascade Road, the Courtyard Lake Placid will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by Gordon Companies of Albany, New York and managed by Ocean Hospitalities, Inc. of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.   
 

Located one mile from historic Lake Placid Village and nine miles from the Saranac Lake – Adirondack Regional Airport, the Courtyard Lake Placid offers guests convenient access to Lake Placid Village, Adirondack State Park and Mirror Lake.  Rates begin at $119 per night except during special events. 
 

“At Courtyard, we research and test our designs to provide for comfort and functionality,” said Laura Bates, senior vice president, brand management, Marriott International.  “We’ve become America’s leading select-service hotel brand by listening to our customers and giving them what they want at a rate below traditional full-service hotels.” 
 

Meeting the evolving needs of the traveler, Courtyard has redesigned its public space.  The new concept includes, a business library featuring individual workstations with high-speed data ports and ergonomic chairs; a pantry-style, 24-hour “grab and go” food and beverage area called The Market, and a lounge area where guests can work, meet and dine in a relaxing setting. 
 

The four-story hotel offers 500 square feet of meeting space to accommodate small meetings and functions of up to 50 people.  Other guest facilities and services include the Courtyard Cafe restaurant, serving breakfast, an indoor swimming pool with waterfall, two spas, exercise room, guest laundry and business center.  
 

Courtyard guest rooms feature either a king-size bed or two queen-size beds, a seating area with sofa bed or oversized chair, a large, well-lit work desk and two telephones equipped with data ports.  The Courtyard Lake Placid features 32 suites with a king-size bed or two queen-sized beds, refrigerator and microwave oven, and five king-size suites with whirlpool spas.  Other in-room amenities include coffee maker, hair dryer, iron with ironing board, and cable television with a free premium movie channel. The hotel is the latest hotel to offer Marriott’s new, more luxurious bedding, which features plusher mattresses, custom comforters, crisp linens, fluffier pillows, and a new, fresh, white look. 
 

Courtyard by Marriott is the leading select-service hotel brand in the United States.  Providing guests with a combination of casual comfort and time saving services, Courtyard hotels feature large functional guest rooms and are conveniently situated where people travel.  All Courtyards now offer free high-speed internet service to guests.  Locations range from airports and office parks to downtown areas and recreational destinations.  Several locations feature revitalized historical buildings.  Courtyard has more than 700 hotels worldwide, including properties in the U.K., Germany and China. 
 

 Courtyard participates in the company’s award-winning Marriott Rewards^® frequent guest program.  Members earn their choice of points toward free vacations or frequent flyer mileage for dollars spent at more than 2,500 Marriott hotels worldwide. 
 

For more information or reservations, call the Courtyard Lake Placid hotel directly at 518-523-2900, call the Courtyard toll-free number at 800-321-2211, contact a travel agent or visit the web site at www.courtyard.com.

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MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with nearly 2,800 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories.  Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers.  The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 143,000 employees at 2005 year-end.  In fiscal year 2005, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $11.6 billion.  For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.

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The Gordon Companies breaks ground on the 96-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID, NY The Gordon Companies, based in Albany, broke ground in mid-October on a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel. The Gordon Cos., owned by David and Jeffrey Gordon, are excited to bring the Marriott name to the area. The town, nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, remains a tourist and event destination. “With a brand like Marriott and the location and attraction that Lake Placid is, we think it’s a successful partnership,” said David Gordon.

David Schlosser of Schopfer Architects LLP in Syracuse designed the new 96-room hotel. The design brings an Adirondack motif that has the modern, sophisticated Courtyard prototype details unveiled by Marriott Corporation in late 2004.

The design, which was worked on with Schlosser and the Lake Placid/ North Elba Joint Review Board, reflects the identity of Lake Placid while retaining the amenities of Marriott hotel. “I think it will absolutely fit well, Schlosser said. “I think the review board is extremely pleased – it works well for all of us.”

Located on a 2.5 acre site on State Rte. 73 in the Olympic Village, the Lake Placid Courtyard will be four stories high featuring a dormered roof, with guestrooms, dining space including a 25-foot buffet and balcony seating, a two-story central lounge with fireplace and adjoining bar, Business Center, meeting space for up to 75, a fitness room and indoor swimming pool with two adjacent Jacuzzis, and outdoor courtyard with covered patio and gardens. The hotel will serve a breakfast buffet, as well as breakfast cooked-to-order, and may offer room service from local outside restaurants. One quarter of the guestrooms will be larger than standard, offering separate bedroom and sitting room areas with fireplaces or kitchenettes. All rooms will have highspeed Internet access as well flatscreen televisions.

“We are thrilled to be in Lake Placid. It’s a beautiful place and we are excited to do business here,” said Jeffrey Gordon. He went on to mention that the hotel would add 22-30 jobs to the area’s economy that are mostly full-time positions.

The hotel will be managed by Ocean Hospitalities of Portsmouth, N.H. Ocean manages over 120 hotels across the U.S., which equates to almost 20,000 rooms.

At the ground-breaking ceremony attended by the mayor of Lake Placid, who said that the property is the first new hotel built in Lake Placid in nearly two decades, The Gordon Companies’ principals David and Jeffrey Gordon, along with Matt and Peter Bette of Bette & Cring, expressed enthusiasm for the destination. “This design is unique and we’re glad that we can be part of this team and bring our expertise to the construction of this beautiful hotel” Matt Bette said.

The construction is scheduled to be finished in early fall of 2006 and will be completed by Bette & Cring of Latham. Courtyard by Marriott has hundreds of locations across the U.S. as well as in 22 other countries. The Marriott brand boasts names such as Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Courtyard, and the Residence Inn.

The town is the only U.S. destination to have hosted two Olympic Games, in 1932 and 1980. Because of the preservation and maintenance of those facilities by the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the area continues to attract visitors for recreation, training and competition, year round, not only for the classic winter sports, but for golf, fly-fishing, mountain biking and even Ironman competitions.