Mérida, Yucatán — Local investors will build a Courtyard by Marriott hotel across the street from the new International Convention Center, said Tourism Secretary Saúl Ancona Salazar.
The project will rise on a valuable parcel formerly occupied by La Curacao, an apparently abandoned electronics store on Avenida Colón and Calle 62, he said.
The 140-room hotel will be aimed at business travelers.
The names of the investors and the size of their investment is being kept confidential until final approvals go through, although Ancona Salazar did say the project’s backers are from the Yucatán Peninsula.
“We know that the talks are very advanced, investors and managers of the chain are working to ensure that the building complies with the world standards of Marriott,” he said.
Courtyard by Marriott focuses more on function than luxury, as opposed to the fanciful, full-service hotels – the Fiesta Americana, Hyatt Regency and InterContinental Presidente — down the street.
Without discouraging families, Courtyards are designed for business travelers. Its rooms have desks, couches and free wi-fi; lobbies have 24-hour “mini-marts.” They don’t offer room service and tend not to have fancy shops or restaurants.
The chain competes with other mid-priced hotels such as Hilton Garden Inn, which has also emerged in Mérida.
Courtyard by Marriott has 1,000 locations in 38 countries.
Across the street, the Centro Internacional de Congresos de Yucatán, “Powered by Samsung,” is set to open in December.
Mérida will have 10,065 rooms in 249 hotels by the end of the year, with 29 properties either under construction, expanding, or having plans pending.
With information from Diario de Yucatán