Greater Statesville Development Corporation

-- In a previous life as a consultant for a national business development firm, I had the "pleasure" of spending 80-90 night each year in hotel rooms; often in wonderful and exotic locations like Bloomington, Illinois, Cadillac, Michigan and Fenton, Missouri. So, if there is one thing I know about, it is "business class" hotels; and based on my experience, the new Marriott Courtyard here in Statesville offers some of the finest, best thought-out accommodations for the business traveler I have ever seen. The Courtyard is the first of several new hotel projects currently under construction in Greater Statesville. In fact, one might be tempted to say that the area is undergoing some thing of a lodging renaissance.

 

Last week, I dropped in on General Manager Andy Briggs and his staff for a tour of the newly opened facility on Cinema Drive. From the minute you pull into the parking lot, you can tell that this isn't a business-as-usual-type establishment. The generic stucco mid-scale hotel facade has been scrapped in favor of a more modern, artistic look. Once inside, the MoMA-influenced decor becomes even more evident, with red and gold the dominant colors. But the real innovations here aren't in the colors or the art, but in the small details. The front desk is open in the middle, so the staff can easily come out to greet guests, assist them with their bags or give them a personal tour of the lobby amenities. A large LCD Go-Board provides easy, interactive access to information about the area such as weather, restaurants, shopping and things to do. One of the niftiest new features, in my opinion, are the pods, private booth-like areas in the lobby which feature an integrated LCD screen. These would be great for small group (3-4 people) meetings or for just kicking back and watching a little TV with travel companions. Like previous Courtyard incarnations, the new design includes a bar/dining area, offering cocktails and lite fare until 10:00 each night. As Sales Manager Jessica Dildine was quick to point out, there is also a large conference room with a 72 inch SmartBoard that can be rented on a daily basis for presentations, meetings seminars and the occasional Super Bowl party.

 

The rooms themselves are spacious and decorated in the same style and tones as the lobby. King rooms feature a walk-in shower with glass doors. Suites have a full-function kitchenette. All rooms have flat screen TV's. From the top floor, guests facing north and west have an excellent view of the Brushy Mountains.

 

Touring the new Courtyard made me just a bit nostalgic for my old "road warrior" days. While I have no desire to travel to that extent again, if I did, I'd want to stay someplace just like the Statesville Courtyard.