It seems as marketers are increasingly often utilising airports to promote their products and services in a “hands on way”. Remember that “Hello Kitty” gate at Taipei International? This time it’s the hotel chain Courtyard by Marriott showcasing their redesigned hotel lobbies in three US airports:

Travelers looking for a better place to sit than the terminal chairs, and whose laptops (and bodies) could use a little recharge are in luck when making a stop at Chicago, Atlanta and Denver airports. To promote their new lobbies, Courtyard has built full sized lobby replicas complete with comfy couches, booths, electrical outlets, HD TV’s and GoBoards (touch screen televisions with local news and attractions) that travelers are invited to experience firsthand. They will be up until mid-November and will be staffed 24 hours a day by a brand ambassador who can help with any questions people may have.

So make sure to head to one of these areas and relax for a few minutes while your laptop gets that long awaited recharge. Currently you find the first of the 3 lobbies at Chicago’s O’Hare airport (IATA: ORD) and later in the week they will also come to Atlanta (IATA: ATL) and Denver (IATA: DEN).

Here is the original press release:

Courtyard Brings New Hotel Lobby to Frequent Flyers
Weary travelers now have place to relax and recharge in three of the nation’s busiest airports

Chicago, Illinois – September 15, 2010 – Courtyard by Marriott is creating an airport oasis for stressed out air travelers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. For the next two months, the deep exhales and soothing sighs of relief you’ll hear at O’Hare will be frequent flyers relaxing and recharging in Courtyard’s new lobby. In addition to O’Hare, the lobbies have been recreated at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and Denver International airports.

At O’Hare, the popular lodging brand has brought the new Refreshing Business lobby to the main corridor of the ticketed area at Terminal Two. The lobby provides travelers with the perfect place to sit and relax or catch up on work while powering up their laptops before the next flight.

Courtyard by Marriott wants air travelers to experience the new design and sample amenities that can be found at 190 Courtyard hotels across the U.S., which has received rave reviews from business and leisure travelers.

The program brings the lobby zones to places where travelers congregate. It was launched on September 7th at an event in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal featuring a special performance by six-time Grammy Award winner John Legend.

The design is contemporary and stylish, and gives travelers options and flexibility to make the most of their time on the road. Courtyard by Marriott designed the lobby to be an environment for guests to work, relax or socialize, whether traveling alone or in groups.

Some of the Courtyard by Marriott Refreshing Business lobby amenities featured in the airport lobby zones include:

• flexible seating options including a communal table and more private media booths with high-definition televisions
• ample electrical outlets so guests can plug-in and charge their mobile devices and laptops
• the brand’s exclusive, interactive GoBoard® technology – a 55-inch LCD touch screen packed with local news, business and sports headlines from USA Today. Guests can also navigate the touch screen mapping feature to find restaurants, local attractions and print directions.

“Guests who have stayed in Courtyard hotels with the Refreshing Business lobby have raved about the new concept,” said Janis Milham, vice president and global brand manager, Courtyard by Marriott. “Our goal with this lobby zone program is to make travelers who have yet to experience it aware of our new product, and what better way to reach these travelers than at major airports.”

By the end of this year, our owners will have spent nearly $190 million to put the new lobby into nearly 260 Courtyard hotels. The brand expects to have 500 hotels with the new lobby by the end of 2011.