The above ranking which places Courtyard in the bottom half, from somebody who generally posts very favorably towards Marriott, speaks volumes. From Marriott online sites, the new Courtyards look very nice and their concept (such as the redesigned lobby and restaurant) sound right. But I've never seen one in person, and because there is no easy way of determining which few properties are the new Courtyards, it's not likely I'll see one soon. On the other hand, I've stayed at a few new Fairfields, and they are very nice indeed. I previously posted about a very nice new one in Wausau Wisconsin.