Passersby the new Fairfield Inn & Suites Marriott Hotel on Route 202 in Mahwah may wonder why the company chose to set up shop in Mahwah. After all, there are already at least six other township hotels on our around Route 17, one of which is a Courtyard Marriott.

However, according to the new hotel’s front desk agent Michael Boyle, Mahwah is a prime location to open a hotel. “Mahwah is directly on the Montreal-New York Corridor, which basically follows Route 87 from Canada to New York City,” he said. “So, this is the perfect location for anyone traveling up or down, or conducting business in NYC.” He also said the number of major highways that converge in the township and the high number of corporations headquartered in and around Mahwah make it an attractive location for hotels.

The Fairfield Inn opened its doors last November, but just had its grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony at the end of March. “That was sort of our ceremonial welcoming to the community, and we are very happy to be here,” Hotel General Manager Zia Jaffrey said.

According to Jaffrey, the Fairfield Inn, which is owned by a private company Cleymore LLC, but is managed by Interstate Hotels and Resorts, Crossroads Hospitality – the same company that operates the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel – is a long time in the making. Construction on the new hotel, which was built from the ground up on a lot next to the Mason Jar on Route 202, began in the fall of 2007. “The entire project, though – the idea to build it, the time it took to get all the necessary permits and going through the entire process – probably took about 10 years,” Jaffrey said. The GM estimates the total cost of the construction at $10-12M.

The hotel’s employees say its location is what sets it apart from other hotels in Mahwah. “I think our guests prefer a convenient location that is not right on Route 17,” Boyle said. “It is quieter here, and if you are in the middle of a long business trip, you want to be able to relax or go to sleep without 18-wheelers whizzing by your room all night long.”

The Fairfield Inn offers 86 guest rooms and suites, a business center and small meeting room, indoor pool, fitness center, and complimentary WiFi and continental breakfast to its guests. “A lot of places have similar amenities,” Jaffrey said. “But what really makes the difference are the people behind the doors of the hotel. How our staff treats and interacts with guests is what matters most.” So far, he said the interaction between the hotel’s 16 employees and travelers staying at the hotel has been “great.”

According to the management, the Marriott brand also attracts lodgers to the hotel. “People have stayed in Marriotts all across the country, so they know what a stay here is like, and they know the Fairfield Inn brand is affordable,” Boyle said.

When opening a new hotel, Zaffrey said the Crossroads Management Company and Marriott expect a six-month “ramp up” period. “We are just about on target, in terms of the numbers of guests staying here,” he said. In the future, the hotel hopes to attract more visitors from families visiting the area, traveling athletic teams, and parents and potential students visiting Ramapo College, which is just down the road.

"For now, we are still the new kids on the block," Jaffrey said. "So we are taking the time to introduce ourselves to the community, and to those who plan on passing through it."