On April 6th, another hotel under the Marriott International brand, Courtyard by Marriott, well-known for its welcoming design and diverse range of services, will open its doors at Teryan 5 in Yerevan.

Ahead of the opening, Banks.am talked with the hotel's General Manager, Tomas Vesely, about the high-quality services and the new cultural influence being brought to Yerevan.

- Mr. Vesely, could you please provide an overview of Courtyard by Marriott in Yerevan, highlighting its features and what guests can expect during their stay.

- Courtyard by Marriott is inspired by the passion to provide the best experience for our guests. We have 1285 hotels in 60 countries, one of which is already located in the heart of Yerevan.

We strive to empower our clients by catering to their needs on the one hand, and on the other hand, by providing an environment that helps them relax, recharge, and have effective work meetings. For this purpose, the hotel offers all the necessary conditions: a spa, a well-equipped gym meeting high standards, a restaurant and bar serving high-quality food and drinks, comfortable meeting rooms, and a co-working area where our guests can meet their clients.

The hotel has 172 rooms, including one executive suite and nine one-bedroom suites. The lobby is divided into two sections: the first part follows a classic format, while the second part is the “Go & Sip” After-Work Cocktail Room, where guests can enjoy high-quality beverages at the end of the working day.

Our “GIA” restaurant, located on the first floor, offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is all-day dining and is intended not only for hotel guests but also for local customers.

We have four halls available for various meetings and ceremonies, with the largest designed to accommodate events with up to 180 people.

The hotel’s entire design is cozy, featuring warm colors that allow guests to feel completely like home.

- How does Courtyard by Marriott in Yerevan set itself apart from other hotels in the area, and what special services does it offer to the guests?

- First of all, we have quite a big task: to change the perception of the local community about hotels. People here tend to think that hotels are only for tourists, that they are expensive and difficult to access. I believe this is an unfair attitude towards the local community, so one of our goals is to open our doors to local guests as well. Through a flexible policy and a warm environment, we will ensure that locals are the main customers of our restaurant and bar, making it one of their favorite places in the city. Along with high-quality service, we will offer prices that locals would typically spend in one of the town's restaurants.

Being part of the Marriott Bonvoy program is another advantage of our hotel. It is a global program that encompasses all Marriott brands. By becoming a member of the program, the clients accumulate points corresponding to their loyalty and receive benefits when using Marriott brand hotels around the world. Marriott Bonvoy members are like family to us.

- What do you think Yerevan and Armenia will benefit from Courtyard by Marriott being here, both economically and culturally?

Armenia has great potential for several reasons: firstly, it is a very safe place, as I have personally discovered. Secondly, it offers excellent opportunities for green tourism. Since Armenia is not as densely populated as many other countries, tourists can explore many desolate and wild areas, which are inherently beautiful and interesting.

We will highlight these advantages and, by combining them with the high quality of our services, make Armenia more attractive to tourists. With the presence of our hotel, Armenia will also become an appealing travel destination for our loyal customers from around the world.

We also place great importance on sustainability, which is an integral part of Marriott’s mindset. With 8,800 hotels worldwide, we bear significant responsibility for our environmental impact. Therefore, we continually work to minimize our negative environmental impact, aiming to set an example for others in the industry.

In our hotels, we have completely eliminated the use of plastic. We sort the waste, manage food waste, use the latest energy-saving systems, limit the inappropriate use of water, and these are just examples. After all, we only have this one planet, and we have already done enough damage to it.

We also teach these approaches to our employees, and this is another contribution to the mentality of the local community.

- As far as I know, most of your employees are locals. How do you choose team members, and what skills should they possess?

- This is true, the majority of our employees are locals. However, we also place significant importance on having a multicultural team and ensuring gender equality.

Entertaining guests is a key in the hospitality industry, which requires a highly skilled team. That is why I personally interview every potential employee, including housekeepers. While knowledge can be acquired, changing one's character is difficult and unlikely, so we prioritize human qualities, and help to learn professional skills. We seek energetic individuals who are eager to learn and develop, are creative, and have strong communication and emotional connection skills.

At the same time, every member of our team gets the opportunity to grow with the Marriott brand. They can travel with the brand, working in our hotels around the world.

One of the advantages of working in the hospitality industry is the variety of departments, so you can start as a waiter and then become the head of the financial department. We have many courses and high standards of work culture, with which one can constantly learn and improve.

In general, Marriott is known for the fact that its employees stay with the brand for a very long time, up to 30 years or more. As Mr. Marriott said: “If your employees are happy, they will make your customers happy.” This is the truth and we follow it.

- As the general manager of the hotel, what are your expectations regarding the working process and further development of the hotel?

- I expect only one thing: to be number one, it cannot be otherwise. I hope that we will take a leading role in the region in terms of customer satisfaction. To achieve this goal, consistent surveys and analysis are among our priorities.

The beauty of the hospitality industry is that it is constantly evolving, so we will also continuously develop the services we offer. The sky has no limits for us.

Gaiane Yenokian talked to Tomas Vesely