Southern Hills Hits a Home Run With the Texas League

TULSA, OK--(Marketwire - Feb 14, 2012) - For over 100 years, the Texas League of Professional Baseball has served as the launching pad for a number of stars, including Bob Turley, Dave Righetti, and Alex Cabrera. But from the minor leagues to the Hall of Fame, one thing every player shares is the need for a good night's sleep when on the road. That's why the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills is proud to be voted #1 in the Texas League by visiting teams.

As the "home" hotel of the Tulsa Drillers Baseball Club, the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills hosts all seven other teams in the league throughout the season, an honor among hotels in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Drillers management has had a long relationship with the Southern Hills Marriott prior to moving downtown, and the hotel is rated as the #1 visiting team hotel in the league. "The proximity to the ballpark is not important to the teams," said Mike Melega, General Manager of the Tulsa Drillers. "Even though our ballpark is downtown, we still view ourselves as being part of the entire city."

For comfortable Tulsa, OK lodging, the Marriott Southern Hills is unmatched. The hotel features the full-service Southern Hills Spa, year-round heated indoor pool, and Phil's Smokehouse and Grille. One of the most popular hotels in South Tulsa, the Marriott's rooms are equipped with coffeemakers, alarm clocks with MP3 jacks, mini fridges and luxurious bedding, as well as 37-inch flat-screen HD TVs with Marriott's jack pack, which enables guests to connect their laptops easily to the TV.

According to Melega, extensive planning goes into making booking decisions for visiting teams. The Texas League puts the responsibility of visiting team hotel accommodations on the home team for convenience purposes. "That way, we're not dealing with seven other markets and it allows for the creation of relationships with the teams," he said.

"It's pretty stiff competition, so when we have all seven teams in the league saying they absolutely love it (at the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills) and wouldn't change a thing," Melega said, "it's a big deal." The Tulsa Drillers are the Double A affiliate of the National League Champion Colorado Rockies and play in the historic Texas League. The Drillers came to Tulsa from Lafayette, Louisiana prior to the 1977 season. They spent their first 26 years of existence in Tulsa as a Texas Rangers affiliate before joining the Colorado Rockies organization in 2003.

About the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills Hotel

A unique choice among Tulsa, Oklahoma hotels, the Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills features the top rated Southern Hills Spa and Ross Edward Hair salon, in addition to the recently renovated Remington's Sports Bar. One of the most popular Tulsa wedding venues, the hotel is minutes away from River Spirit Casino, South Tulsa restaurants and great shopping areas. The Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills offers 377 rooms and 6 suites on 11 floors, complimentary on-site parking, and 43,000 square feet of state-of-the-art banquet and meeting space. It also features two concierge levels, fitness center and indoor swimming pool.