New owners buy Marriott hotel in Chapel Hill

The Courtyard by Marriott in Chapel Hill is under new management after Noble Investment Group bought the hotel last week.

The Atlanta-based investment company was interested in the 169-room hotel located next to the Friday Center because of the intersection of leisure and work opportunities made available in the Triangle.

“In general, we are big believers in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill market,” said Ben Brunt, Noble’s principal and executive vice president of acquisitions and development.

“We have already developed a full-service Marriott in Raleigh and are looking into Durham. We have had a strong interest in Chapel Hill because we like the interplay between universities and medical centers in the area. It is a nice complement to our portfolio.”

Sandra Whittington, the hotel’s general manager, said the previous owners, Winston Hospitality, sold the hotel because they wanted to change their ownership portfolio as a whole.

“We are excited for the new company and new management,” Whittington said of the new owners. “I think it is a great change. There is also a new management company, and I think it lends more opportunities for the hotel and could increase revenue in the market.”

Although there was a turnover in ownership, the current hotel employees and managers are staying on with the hotel and will retain their tenure, Whittington said.

As part of Noble’s property improvement plan, there will be an effort to improve the property in phases. Brunt said some renovations will be done immediately, and more will be done in two years.

“We think there are opportunities to work with retained staff to improve property performance and to enhance the guest experience,” Brunt said.

The Courtyard by Marriott is under new ownership, unlike other local hotels that have recently become part of a category known as soft-brand affiliation, Laurie Paolicelli, Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau executive director, said in an email.

The Franklin Hotel, which is associated with the Curio Collection by Hilton, and the Marriott-affiiated Siena Hotel are two examples of Chapel Hill hotels with soft-brand affiliation.

Paolicelli said independent hotels provide uniqueness, while major hotel chains provide more efficient marketing and reservations support with quality assurance. Soft-brand affiliation allows independent hotels to retain their individuality and character while benefitting from these affiliations.

She said the Noble Investment Group also wanted to expand its portfolio in hotels, which she described as one of the fastest growing industries.

“It’s basically exposing that particular hotel to a wider range of guests,” Paolicelli said.

“By joining these marketing and reservation organizations, independent hotels jointly reach the size to receive and provide services at a cost level that bigger chains with built-in economy of scale can reach.”

city@dailytarheel.com

CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story inaccurately identified the new management relationship of the Courtyard by Marriott. The property will be managed by the Noble Investment Group. It is under new ownership, unlike the Franklin Hotel and Siena Hotel, both of which recently entered soft-brand affiliations. The story has been updated to reflect this change. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.