Construction 50 percent complete on Marriott

WICHITA FALLS, TX - February 24, 2009 - Construction of the new Courtyard by Marriott Wichita Falls is a little over half completed, according to Mital Patel, vice president of development for Image Hospitality, and it is scheduled for opening sometime this summer.

"The building is in the dried-in stage, meaning the hotel is sealed off from the weather. We are a little over halfway in the process. The exterior finish will be starting within a week. There is about 40 percent left to be done. The insulation and sheetrock are next in line."

Patel said plans call for the multimillion-dollar hotel to be open by mid-August, "in time for the Hotter'N Hell Hundred event."

Construction started in early September 2008 and has "progressed very smoothly," he said. The general contractor is Sagestar Development & Construction of Irving, Texas.

The hotel will be a four-story, 92-room facility and will boast 2,100 square feet of meeting space.

It will feature Marriott's new lobby concept, which the chain came out with about a year ago. The lobby area will have a 52-inch LCD touch-screen (GoBoard) that will have information about Wichita Falls, including weather, maps that show the location of restaurants, etc. The lobby area also will have computer access areas, a bistro, welcome podiums (registration), and a market area that will have food and drinks.

The hotel will have about 30 employees. Open positions include general manager, assistant general manager, executive housekeeper, maintenance engineer, chef, bartender, front desk agents, and housekeepers.

"We are looking to hire the general manager and director of sales immediately," Patel said.

He said all the remaining positions will be filled two months before the opening.

To apply, send an e-mail, including a resume and the position wanted, to hotel@courtyardwichitafalls.com.

In a previous Times Record News article, Patel said the new hotel, which will be located at Tarry and Lawrence, will feature "smooth lines, curved walls and earthen colors on the exterior, and a modern residential atmosphere."

The conference/meeting area will accommodate up to 200. The hotel will have an indoor pool, state-of-the-art fitness center and a courtyard. Patel said the guest rooms will have 42-inch high-definition televisions instead of the originally planned 32-inch televisions.

TIMES RECORD NEWS
BY LEE ANDERSON
BUSINESS EDITOR