New Courtyard by Marriott to be built at JFK.

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Harry Gross of G. Holdings and Todd Clist of Marriott International, Inc. have announced the construction of a new Courtyard by Marriott Hotel to be built adjacent to the John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Construction of the 13-floor hotel is targeted to be completed early next year. It will be the first new construction of a lodging property adjacent to the airport in 15 years.

On January 11th Gross joined Jean Cohen, New York Area general manager for Marriott International; NYC & Company President Cristyne Lategano; Kevin Kilkeary, president of Interstate Hotels Corporation; and Seth Bornstein, director of Economic Development in the Queens Borough President's office, for a ground-breaking ceremony at the site at 135th Avenue and Inwood Avenue in Queens .

The hotel will have 166 guest rooms, including two suites, 1,200 square feet of meeting space, an exercise room, and a restaurant and lounge.

The Courtyard will be the first property on hotel row within minutes of JFK International Airport. Free shuttle service to the airport will be provided 24 hours a day.

The franchisee and developer of the hotel is Granite JFK LLC, a member of the G. Holdings group of companies, which is owned by Harry Gross, a long-time businessman in New York City. Crossroads Hospitality Company, a subsidiary of Interstate Hotels Corporation, will manage the hotel under a franchise agreement between Marriott International and G. Holdings.

"Marriott's decision to build another hotel in New York City is another example of the confidence businesses have in our City's economic renaissance," said Mayor Giuliani. "Years ago, people thought New York City had too many hotels. Today, with over 33 million tourists visiting our City each year, our hotel occupancy rates are at their highest level in years. This new Marriott is great news for the Queens community, as it will create more than 500 new construction jobs and 110 permanent jobs. I want to thank Marriott for its continued investment in New York City."

"Courtyard continues to develop a strong presence in the New York City market," said Clist, president of Marriott International Inc.'s Lodging division. "With the opening of this property, Courtyard will offer business travelers a new choice in the upper moderate segment at one of the world's busiest airports, as well as two Midtown Manhattan Courtyard hotels and one at LaGuardia Airport."

"This new Courtyard by Marriott will be the premier lodging for business travelers and families using John F. Kennedy International Airport, where more than 31 million passengers were recorded last year," Gross said. "We look forward to working with Marriott, Interstate Hotels and the Queens business community to make this a hotel that will cater to the needs of our guests.

"It's an honor for me to welcome the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at JFK Airport," said Lategano. "This new hotel is very much needed as we look to host even more visitors in New York City in the years to come. Last year, over 33 million visitors spent over $15 billion while here. As a major airline hub, we welcome more overseas visitors than any other U.S. city. Clearly, the timing for this hotel is ideal. Building a new hotel in Queens will be a great benefit to the community, in terms of creating new jobs and also in stimulating a greater number of visitors to take advantage of the borough's business and tourism offerings."

"The aviation industry is integral to the economy of Queens County. This new hotel is further evidence that JFK Airport is at the crossroads of international commerce and that world-class hotels such as Courtyard by Marriott deem it an important location for their latest venture, "Queens Borough President Claire Shulman said in a statement delivered by Bornstein.

G. Holdings is a real estate development company headquartered in New York City. It was founded in 1977 by owner Harry Gross and has been active in the acquisition, development, management and trading of businesses and real estate nationally and internationally.

G. Holdings opened the 244-room Courtyard by Marriott Times Square South in October, 1998, and plans are underway for a new Residence Inn by Marriott to begin construction in Philadelphia in the spring.

Crossroads is a subsidiary of Interstate Hotels, one of the largest independent hotel management companies in the United States. Interstate operates approximately 160 hotels with 30,000 rooms in 37 states in the U.S., as well as Canada, the Caribbean and Russia. In New York City, Interstate operates the Roosevelt Hotel, the Manhattan Courtyard Times Square and the Murray Hill Comfort Inn, in addition to five other hotels in New York State.