8:19 a.m., May 27, 2010----The Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware has made customer service a priority -- and its guests have noticed.

THIS STORY

E-mail

Print

Twitter

Based on its direct feedback from guests through its customer satisfaction survey, the UD hotel received two awards from Marriott International for its superior guest services in 2009.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware Marriott received the Platinum Circle Award for excellence in guest services.

Additionally, the hotel was one of only nine Marriott hotels in the world, and five in the United States, to receive the Diamond Hotel Award for excellence in guest services, which the Courtyard Newark also received last year.

The hotel scored in the top 5 percent of all 785 Marriott Courtyards globally with a guest service score of 94.7.

"We could not do this without the dedication of our team, and the thousands of guests who take the time to give us this feedback,” said William Sullivan, managing director for the hotel.

The Courtyard Newark serves as not only the official hotel of the University of Delaware but also the teaching hotel for 50 students in UD's Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM) each semester. This experience gives students a chance to learn about all facets of the hotel from working in housekeeping to managing the front desk.

Sullivan credited his team of employees and student interns from the HRIM practicum with the success of the hotel's legacy of excellence in guest satisfaction.

“Our goal is to be the number one Marriott Courtyard in the world and represent the best of the University of Delaware,” Sullivan said.

The Courtyard Newark is owned and operated by the University of Delaware and managed by Shaner hotels.

For information on the hotel, visit the website.

Article by Meredith Chapman