BANGOR – When the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Sylvan Road opened earlier this month, it was nearly 10 months behind schedule – although most agree that the wait was worth it.

Boasting spacious, modern rooms and a prototype interactive lobby and lounge area, the 92-room hotel offers plenty of perks for a specific type of customer, General Manager Kevin Pagnano said.

“Business travelers are a key market for us and this will certainly cater to them,” Pagnano said this week while touring the hotel. “Looking at what the city had offered, there really was a need for another brand.”

The facility, owned by Freeport-based Maine Course Hospitality Group, will add about 30 jobs to the area and all, even management, are from Maine.

“We didn’t plan it. It just worked out that way,” Pagnano said.

During construction last year, the project had to be halted when the wrong roof trusses were installed. The mix-up caused Maine Course Hospitality Group to change contractors, created a large time delay and added costs, although it hasn’t been made public how much.

“About halfway through our construction, they switched the design, so what you’re seeing is brand new,” Pagnano said, explaining the delay. “We had to wait, yes, but it was worth it.”

In fact, only five Courtyard by Marriott hotels in the country have the same open-concept lobby and lounge design as the new Bangor location. Pagnano said all branches will switch over eventually.

The hotel features four suites with balconies, 28 rooms with two queen beds and 60 rooms with one king-size bed. All rooms are outfitted with wireless Internet access.

Although a sign is visible from Interstate 95, the hotel is tucked back about a mile from Hogan Road. Pagnano said he didn’t think the location was a problem, because Courtyard hotels generally don’t rely on walk-in customers the way other hotels might.

The Courtyard also expects to get a boost from the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We try and direct visitors and meetings to all of our member properties,” said Kerrie Tripp, the CVB’s executive director. “I think they all have great potential and we’ll do as much as we can to promote business there.”

The Courtyard even sold out in its first weekend last Friday and Saturday, thanks in part to several U.S. Secret Service agents who were traveling ahead of Todd Palin’s visit to Maine. Palin is the husband of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

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