After a very successful run in Cebu and a flourishing hotel in Manila, Marriott is expanding its wings in the Philippines.

Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo is not only the first international hotel in Iloilo.

It is also the first of its kind in the country.

The new property is owned by Travelers International Hotels Group, the owner and operator of Resorts World Manila.

It is located at Iloilo Business Park, an urban township development by Megaworld.

Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo was fully booked even before the grand opening, thanks largely to its promotional offer of P3,888 a night for locals.

The promo has been extended until July, while regular rates for non-locals start at P6,000 a night.

"We are so happy we had a full house. What else could you ask for? We're also lucky because we opened just in time for the pharmaceutical convention,” shared Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo's general manager, Cleofe Albiso. She is also the first female general manger in Marriott in the Philippines.

"The feedback so far, the food is good and the ambiance is great. They love the service and I think that will be the key differentiator for the hotel. This is the first international hotel and we made sure that our staff is aligned to international hotel service standards," she added.

The 15-storey hotel has a total of 326 rooms. It offers two room types, deluxe (twin or king bed) and junior suite.

Its main dining outlet is the Runway Kitchen that offers all-day dining including breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets. Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo also has an executive lounge, a lobby cafe, a ballroom, a pool, and a gym.

"In terms of food and beverage, we made sure that there's a touch of the specialties that the Ilonggos are proud of. This is what we are proud of. When people from Manila come to Iloilo, you think of batchoy, but you have to go out. But here, we want you to have a taste of that in the hotel," Albiso said.

Design-wise, the hotel is very modern. The building's exterior is almost all glass, which is brightened up by colorful LED lights at night. The lobby is clean and spacious, accented by polished brown marble floors and contrasted by white walls and marble reception counters.

The rooms are sleek and follow a minimal design. The hotel uses earth tones as its color scheme with brown marble counters, light stained wood, and touches of light green and grays. The TV is tucked in a wood box panel on the wall, while the mini bar is stowed away under the spacious counter below the television.

"You see, there's a lot of modern touches. The Courtyards in the past were very business-like, but now it's almost full service, and very modern. The Courtyards in recent years have been this modern and big," explained Albiso.

Originally branded as a business hotel, Courtyard has evolved into a mixed-market hotel, and even a leisure property.

Its management is optimistic about the market in Iloilo. "You're going to have your staycationers, OFWs coming home, they want to take the family somewhere nice for the weekend. We anticipate a nice blend of corporate and leisure," explained Marriott International cluster general manager Bruce Winton.

The Marriott chain is set to open more hotels in the country. Already lined up are Sheraton in Manila, Marriott in Clark, and another Courtyard in Cebu.