Courtyard by Marriott El Paso Downtown/Convention Center

Courtyard by Marriott El Paso Downtown/Convention Center opened on 3 August 2018 at 610 North Santa Fe Street. The nine-story hotel has 151 rooms and is operated as a Marriott franchise managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts, which also took over the neighbouring DoubleTree by Hilton the same spring.

The place

The hotel faces the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center in the downtown core, with City Hall and Southwest University Park, the baseball stadium, in the same district. The press release adds the El Paso Zoo, the University of Texas at El Paso, The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso, the Plaza Theatre and several museums to the list of nearby places, without giving distances.

The DoubleTree by Hilton stands on the same block.

The concept

The opening date moved. In April 2018 Marcus announced the hotel for June, and the doors opened two months later. The company, a division of The Marcus Corporation of Milwaukee, was chosen to manage the new building that April.

Rooms use Courtyard's then-latest design, with separate zones for working, sleeping, relaxing and getting ready. Lighting is indirect and the palette neutral. A Luggage Drop and a Tech Drop hold bags and charge devices, a LoungeAround sofa doubles as work space, a light desk on wheels moves around the room, and the bathroom has a Shower Nook for toiletries. Furniture and architectural features replace traditional wall art.

The brand's vice president Callette Nielsen said Courtyard wants rooms that let guests move between relaxing and working. The hotel also has a business library with computer terminals, a printer, and stations for boarding passes and flight status.

Dining & wellness

The Bistro, the lobby's centrepiece, serves made-to-order breakfast and dinner, grab-and-go items and cocktails, beer and wine. Facilities include an outdoor terrace-top pool, a fitness center and guest laundry. Meeting space is small: 869 square feet, for up to 20 people. The hotel runs a guest recycling program, with bins near the side exits.