Brookline Courtyard Marriott: Keeping Its Community Promise

When the Courtyard Marriott opened in Coolidge Corner, many Brookline residents were concerned about maintaining their sense of community with the advent of a big hotel chain. The Marriott team promised the Town it would provide parking, green space, and community programming in addition to their hotel services.
“Fifteen years later, we’ve really held up our end of the bargain,” says Colin Porter, director of sales at the property. “We’re very active in the community; we’re not just a hotel.”

According to the Brookline Assessors Office, Brookline Courtyard Marriott has become an important source of tax revenue for the Town. Hersha Hospitality Trust, which owns the Courtyard, is presently the Town’s eighth largest property taxpayer. Courtyard also collects a significant amount of sales tax revenue for Brookline through the Massachusetts Local Sales Tax Option. Massachusetts collects 2 percent sales tax on lodging and .75 percent sales tax on taxable meal sales in communities like Brookline, that have elected to accept the sales tax option. The State then directs the collected sales tax on lodging and meals back to the participating communities. In FY2017, Brookline received $2.9 million, a healthy percentage of which was collected by Brookline Courtyard Marriott.

Brookline Courtyard Marriott has also been an enthusiastic supporter of many local nonprofits.
Porter has worked with BrooklineHub.com on a number of projects, including yearly sponsorship of The Brookline Youth Awards and providing reception space for both the youth awards event and screenings of Soul Witness, The Brookline Holocaust Witness Project. On Wednesday, April 11, the Courtyard hosted the reception for the nomination committee, award honorees, nominators, and sponsors of the 8th Brookline Youth Awards.

The Youth Awards have a special place in Porter’s heart. Connecting with Brookline High students has Porter thinking about his own son, who, though only two and a half, will one day be a part of the same community-based programs. “It’s something I think is really important, and I think the kids learn a lot from these special projects,” he says.

The emphasis on young people and their ability to make change is more relevant this year than ever. The Brookline High students honored at The Youth Awards are of the same breed as the students at Margaret Douglass High School who are speaking out against gun violence. Porter says, “When I saw how those high schoolers were picking up something that needs to be done, it made me think of the youth awards because that was another time I’ve seen all these kids trying to help the community.”

The Ronald McDonald House is another important charity for the Courtyard, which hosts many patients and doctors of the Longwood area hospitals. “It’s something we see every day with patients coming to go to hospitals like Dana Farber and Children’s,” Porter says. “We’ve connected with those guests.”

The Ronald McDonald House in Charlestown provides low-cost accommodations for families and patients less than 21 years of age who are being treated at Boston-area hospitals. Courtyard staff members donate their times and skills to prepare meals for the Ronald McDonald House residents and their guests. The dinners provide a fun respite from the stresses of treatment.

Other local organizations such as Cradles for Crayons and the Boston Food Bank have benefited from the Courtyard’s volunteer hours. “Every quarter we try to do something in the community,“ says Porter. “We do an Autism Speaks benefit every year in April. In past years we’ve done that on the property here.”

Charities aren’t the only groups benefiting from the generosity of the Courtyard. They partner with local landmark Brookline Booksmith to host emerging authors who are in town for book signings and events. Porter says they’ve had similar partnerships with the Coolidge Corner Theater and play an active role in the Brookline Chamber of Commerce and Coolidge Corner Merchants Association.

Porter has lived in Brookline for six years and worked at the Marriott for over three years. He says he quickly learned to love the town and its supportive residents. “I love being part of this smaller town within a big city,” he says. “We really push guests to go out and see our neighborhood.”

The property itself is designed to welcome Brookline. The 180 guest rooms on site feature artwork depicting local scenes, like an MBTA train at the Coolidge Corner T stop and a group of rowers on the Charles River. The meeting rooms showcase historic photos of the town to show the change over the years.

Most important is the courtyard park the Marriott maintains and keeps open to the public. A beautiful, sunny, green space located in the heart of the lobby, the courtyard serves as a meeting ground for locals as well as guests. “In the nicer months we have tables and chairs out there, anyone can come and hang out,” Porter says. “It’s nice to be part of the community and not just a hotel.”

On any given day you can find Brookline residents relaxing in the courtyard, grabbing a coffee in the Marriott’s bistro dining area, or attending an event hosted in their space. Despite their rocky start, a strong relationship of mutual give and take has developed between the Courtyard Marriott and the town of Brookline. “It’s nice to be part of a management company and a hotel itself that’s cognoscent of giving back and tries to be a part of the community,” Porter says.

By Celina Colby

BrooklineHub.com is a 501C3 non-profit dedicated to reporting and commenting on life, culture and community in Brookline. As part of our mission, we advocate for non-profits vital in making this a better place to live, and by sponsoring and supporting events that promote community-building. We hold the belief that as a community, we should foster the well-being of all, remaining mindful of our young people, seniors, and underprivileged.