Press Release - July 22, 2009

MUCH-ANTICIPATED COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT AND CHAMPION’S SPORTS BAR & RESTAURANT BREAK GROUND IN DOWNTOWN FORT WAYNE, IN

Downtown Fort Wayne’s First New Full Service Hotel In 25 Years Will Showcase Courtyard’s Refreshing New Design and Champion’s Sports Bar & Restaurant

FORT WAYNE, IN   (July 22, 2009) – A groundbreaking ceremony held at 11 a.m. today announced the construction of the 250 room Courtyard by Marriott and Champion’s Sports Bar & Restaurant scheduled to open in downtown Fort Wayne late summer of 2010. The hotel is part of the $120 million Harrison Square mixed-use development and will feature Courtyard’s refreshing new lobby and room design as well as meeting and recreation facilities.

“This bare ground symbolizes opportunity for new jobs and economic growth,” Mayor Tom Henry said. “Today we celebrate the exciting start of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel, and our successful partnership with White Lodging, a great Indiana company. We celebrate the collaborative efforts of our local banking community and Centier Bank who came together to make this project happen. We celebrate a new vibrancy in the heart of the city. And we celebrate the continued progress of Harrison Square, our signature downtown catalyst development. Together, we are creating a community that can attract the private investment, the high-paying jobs and the talented workers that will keep Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana competitive for generations to come.”

Located on the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Harrison Street in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne, the hotel is one of the cornerstones of the Harrison Square project. The hotel will be bordered on the North by the Grand Wayne Convention Center, on the West by the recently completed Parkview Field, on the South by a newly constructed 900 space parking garage and on the East by the historic Indiana Hotel and Embassy Theatre. The hotel will have direct entries to the adjacent parking garage as well as an over-the-street enclosed walkway through the Indiana Hotel to both the Embassy Theatre and Grand Wayne Convention Center.  

 

“Harrison Square and future visitors to downtown Fort Wayne are getting one of the lodging industry’s most valued and trusted brands in Courtyard by Marriott and we are looking forward to bringing Marriott’s legendary Spirit to Serve hospitality to the downtown market,” said Deno Yiankes, President and CEO Investments & Development for White Lodging. 

Each of the downtown Fort Wayne Courtyard’s 250 guestrooms will feature the brand’s refreshing new design and décor incorporating Marriott’s newest generation of interior design and public space furnishings. Guests will be welcomed to a spacious lobby with “walk-around” front desk podiums that allow for increased guest interaction and more personalized service. Also found in the lobby will be a 52” LCD touch screen ‘GoBoard’ where one can access local weather, driving directions, sports headlines and much more. Flexible seating options range from a communal table in the middle of the action, to more private media booths with high-definition televisions, to a more intimate, semi-enclosed lounge area or outdoor patio seating. Free public Wi-Fi will be available throughout all guestrooms and public spaces.

The lobby will also feature The MarketTM, a 24/7 shop for snacks, beverages and sundries. Each guestroom will feature Marriott’s luxurious bedding and remote control flat-screen televisions with cable. Additional amenities will include an oversized exercise room, indoor swimming pool, and over 6,500 square feet of flexible meeting space including a 4,200 square foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 people for business, group, or social events.

Champion’s Sports Bar & Restaurant, home of “Good Food”, “Good Times”, and “Good Sports”, will combine the excitement of sports viewing in a fun, high-energy, family-friendly environment with great quality food and drinks. The menu will feature classic American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offer room service during the evening. With over 20 flat-screen televisions found throughout the dining room showing all the major sports, it will be the perfect place for the after-work crowd or for catching a bite with the family before attending a ball game at the adjacent Parkview Field. Champion’s will also offer take-home souvenirs including sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats. 

The all new Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown: it’s a new place to stay.

For more information, please call (260) 490-3629 or visit www.whitelodging.com

 

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