Courtyard by Marriott Hotels, a division of Marriott International, Inc.
(NYSE: MAR), announced today that they have been selected as the exclusive hotel
sponsor for the 2008 and 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) racing
seasons. Courtyard by Marriott Hotels will act as the official hotel partner for
the next two seasons.
The World Touring Car Championship is an
international car race championship and includes races in 12 different locations
across The Americas, Europe and Asia from March to November. The WTCC,
introduced in 2005, is one of the three official world car championships
authorized by the International Federation of Automobilism (FIA). The FIA WTTC
is recognized as the third most important World Championship in the world, after
Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship.
The race includes touring cars built similarly to series production cars,
competing for world championship points. Alterations to the vehicles are kept to
a minimum which helps ensure that participants have an equal opportunity to win
on the race track.
“We are thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership
with the WTTC for the next two seasons,” said Frank Zehle, regional vice
president of brand marketing for Continental Europe for Marriott International.
“We feel that Courtyard by Marriott Hotels are the ideal fit for this very
popular event, and we look forward to being a part of the excitement,” he
said.
The first official race of the season is scheduled for March 2nd in
Curitiba, Brazil.
Marriott International introduced its highly acclaimed Courtyard brand in
1983. Since then, the brand has grown into the company’s largest brand with
nearly 800 hotels and the world’s 13th largest lodging chain. Courtyard by
Marriott Hotels are designed for business and leisure travelers who need
consistent, high quality accommodations and services at moderate prices. There
are more than 700 Courtyard hotels worldwide; more than 65 of these properties
are currently located outside the continental United States.
For in depth
information on WTCC, a full schedule of racing events and participating hotels,
and descriptions of the various teams, please visit www.courtyard-racing.com. The
website also allows visitors to configure their own race car and win a variety
of prizes, including the chance to a Grand Prize trip to Brazil for the opening
race of the 2009 season.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is a
leading lodging company with about 3,000 lodging properties in the United
States and 67 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, Horizons by Marriott
Vacation Club, 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 Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000
employees at 2007 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired
company and one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE®, and has been
recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2007
Sustained Excellence Award and Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year
2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $13
billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.
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