As a frequent traveler—and one who could match any style of travel at the drop of a hat—hotels and other accommodation options have become an increasingly important part of my travels. Over the years I’ve stayed in everything from cockroach infested guesthouses to 5-star luxury hotels. I’ve slept on the floor in airports, train stations—even on the porch of a riverside guest house in Cambodia.

I’ve also slept in hotels with king size beds, business suites with full-service kitchens and VIP rooms that celebrities once slept in. I don’t have a particular style of travel because I pretty much like it all. If I’m in a foreign city, chances are I’m going to enjoy my stay.

But as an online junkie, certain amenities have become a pre-requisite for just about any booking. During my upcoming trip around the USA I’ll be visiting six different cities in six weeks across three time zones. Time is going to be an issue. I’ll be spending a lot of time in and out of hotels, but also in and out of a lot of cafes & wifi-hotspots. That’s why I was glad to discover that Courtyard by Marriott has started to revamp many of their hotels to make them more accessible for business travelers. The revamped hotels now provide many of the amenities I want: everything from Starbucks coffee to plenty of outlets for charging my travel gear.

Hotel lobbies with useful amenities

Five hundred Courtyard by Marriott properties have already been updated with an innovative hotel program called Courtyard Refreshing Business lobby. The renovation includes new lobbies each with a Bistro—a casual food & beverage cafe which serves healthy cuisine and Starbucks coffee. The new lobbies also include laptop-friendly work stations with plenty of outlets and a giant touch screen TV monitor (the GoBoard) where guests can look up the weather, local news and local attractions to help plan their stay. GoBoard screens help leisure travelers enhance their stay in the destination and encourage business travelers to get out and explore new surroundings.

To promote these new lobbies, I’ve partnered with Courtyard by Marriott to provide a $300 gift card for the international hotel chain. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me which state in the U.S. you’d like to travel to the most.

Win a $300 Courtyard Marriott gift card simply by commenting on this post!

Want to win a two-night stay at a renovated Courtyard by Marriott hotel?

Simply leave a comment on this post telling me which U.S. state you’re most interested in visiting.

This contest is open to US residents and will run until August, 15, 2012. The winner will be randomly selected from the comments below using random.org. The winner will receive a $300 gift card toward a two night stay at any renovated Courtyard property. Currently there are over 515 properties in the U.S. alone.

This contest will run until August 15, 2012 on which date I’ll use random.org to select a winner. Be sure to leave a comment below telling me which U.S. state you’re most interested in visiting!

If you’re looking for some wanderlust, be sure to check out my other hotel & accommodation reviews here.

_{Disclosure: This contest was sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott. The winner will receive a giftcard towards 2 free nights at a Courtyard by Marriott property within the Continental US. I will randomly select a winner on August 15, 2012 and reach out to him/her via email with further instructions. I will also be receiving a complimentary stay at a renovated Courtyard property.}

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