Next time you run into Scott Stuckey, general manager of the Calgary Marriott Hotel, feel free to ask him: "What's new?"

Then relax and get comfortable. Because Scott has a lot of information to share.

The fact is, virtually everything about the Calgary Marriott is new, from the hotel's newly constructed meeting rooms to its recently renovated guestrooms. Everything's new, everything's improved. Everything, that is, except the address.

General manager Scott Stuckey has pledged that the Calgary Mariott Hotel is here to stay.

After all, it's tough to improve on perfection.

Business travellers agree that the Calgary Marriott's fantastic location at 110 – 9th Avenue S.E. is one reason they always book into this friendly, full-service hotel during their trips to Calgary.

The Marriott sits at the heart of things, directly across the street from the Calgary Tower and attached to the TELUS Convention Centre. Situated within short blocks of every important business office in the city centre, it's no trick at all to book several full days of Calgary business meetings and never be forced to rent a vehicle or hail a taxi.

Stability is another important component of the Marriott's well-rounded hospitality package. Until the internationally acclaimed Marriott team moved into Calgary five years ago, a variety of ownership groups had operated the hotel through the 1980s and early 1990s.

But Scott Stuckey is here with a pledge and a promise: The revolving-door policy has been officially revoked.

"Marriott's here to stay," he agreed, without hesitation.

The operators have backed up Stuckey's remarks by putting a large sum of money where his mouth is – $12 million, to be precise. That's how much the Marriott has invested on first-rate renovations to the hotel's elegant and welcoming lobby area, the restaurant and lounge and every single guestroom.

Perhaps the hotel's most exciting new attraction, created with the business client uppermost in mind, has been the addition of 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting space on the second floor, around the corner from Trader's Grill.

Edmonton companies whose business frequently takes them to Calgary have been quick to take advantage of this new feature. Corporate clients are finding the new meeting rooms to be perfectly suited for board meetings, and dinners for as many as 150 people.

Marriott's guest rooms, too, have been designed and furnished to meet the specific needs of the working traveller. Across the chain, Marriott's guest accommodation is known as "The Marriott Room That Works."

Across the city, the Calgary Marriott guest accommodations are simply known as the largest hotel rooms in town. Each "Room that Works" provides the guest with an ergonomic chair as well as an L-shaped desk, which means ample desktop space to accommodate a laptop computer, notes, research materials and an elegant room service dinner.

A desktop lamp in each room features a handy dataport, to allow easy access for data transmissions. (This is a welcome selling point for any wayfarer who's been forced to endure those hands-and-knees searches for a telephone wall jack.)

All the extra square footage in a typical Calgary Marriott guest room means there's still plenty of space for relaxing comfortably in a generously proportioned sitting area when the day's work is done.

And when the laptop has been shut down for the evening, the Calgary Marriott food services experts are ready to stroke and pamper your tastebuds.

Marriott chefs and serving professionals really know their onions. Official caterer for the TELUS Convention Centre, the hotel was able to feed – and satisfy – 1,500 diners, three meals a day, during the recent G-8 Summit.

Stuckey's certain that his guests enjoyed the fare because he personally heard ecstatic feedback from some of the world's toughest critics – namely, the global press corps.

For added convenience during your off-hours, the Calgary Marriott is in the heart of Calgary's cultural district, which includes the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts, the Glenbow Museum and some of the most splendid dining spots in Western Canada.

The Calgary Marriott (Ph: 403.266.7331; Fax: 403.269.1961) is particularly proud of its community-based initiatives. Among many sponsorships, the Marriott is the official hotel of both the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Calgary International Film Festival. It's all in keeping with a "People First" philosophy that has made Marriott a leader in the hospitality industry for 75 years.

So next time you see Scott Stuckey, go ahead and ask him: "What's new?"

He's sure to have plenty to say.