Marriott on the Move

I think everyone feels like change is in the air. We've all heard the buzz words "the new normal" or "reset," and for the most part, I think it's a good thing. It's about getting back to the things in life that really matter - being fiscally responsible rather than buying more than you can afford, spending more time with loved ones and reevaluating priorities.

This is always how I've tried to live my life, and how we try to run Marriott. Our culture is about taking care of people, because after all, that's the business we do. If you want your people to take care of your guests and deliver the best service, it's very important to give them opportunities to grow and develop. It helps our company be more innovative and ultimately, successful.

That's why 20 years ago, Marriott formalized its commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a matter . . .

Tonight is our annual Award of Excellence gala where we honor the best of the best within Marriott. These are the associates who have gone above and beyond to provide stellar service to our guests, fellow associates and the communities where they work.

This year, our honorees come from many different places around the globe - Singapore, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, San Francisco and Georgia, to name a few. We flew them all here to our headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, to take part in this great event.

Yesterday, they were warmly welcomed by hundreds of their fellow associates and given a tour of headquarters. After that, we . . .

Almost everyone is feeling the effects of the current economic climate, but at Marriott we want to do everything we can to help you get away and travel. For starters, travel is good for business. But I also believe vacations and trips are a wonderful way to revive yourself during tough times and reconnect with friends and family.

That's why I'm thrilled to tell you about Marriott's newest travel promotion, The Global Rate Break. Starting today, you can book a weekend stay at more than 2,500 of our participating hotels around the world for 20% off! To see if it is available, visit www.marriott.com and use promotional code F5X. You must book . . .

Today I'm blogging from Food and Friends in Washington, D.C. Food and Friends is a non-profit organization that provides groceries and meals to people who are seriously ill and unable to leave their homes to get their own food. I'm volunteering here today as part of Marriott's annual Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day that takes place every May. Our properties participate in different community service events throughout the month and our 300,000 managed and franchised associates around the world are given time off from work to participate.

I've had a great time here today. I've been bagging groceries with my daughter Debbie Marriott Harrison and my son David Marriott and Bill Shaw, who is vice chairman of our company. I put cereal in the grocery bags and I've been putting the menus in the grocery bags and moving the bags around.

Some of our associates are preparing meals and we're also delivering the meals to the homes of the people who need them. That's being provided by transportation by Connect by Hertz. So we have cars going . . .

Today marks the beginning of National Travel and Tourism Week, which is especially important this year given the state of the economy and its impact on travel. I started my day at the Residence Inn Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia, where our associates were celebrating their brand's culture at their annual RIsolution Day.

It was a lot of fun. Many of the associates were in their native costumes - countries ranging from Ethiopia to the Philippines, Ghana, Morocco and several from Latin America. There were two guests here who had lived in the hotel for three years. They were what we would call very extended stay guests.

I believe our associates are the best at what they do and provide our guests the best travel experiences possible. They're the true faces of the travel industry.

It seems our business has . . .

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day - a special day to honor our moms and thank them for all they do. My mother, Alice, was a very special woman. Not only did she raise my brother and me and take great care of my father, she was very active in her local community, in politics and she helped my dad start and run this company.

Back then, it was common for women to stay home, but my mother always seemed to be out working on new projects or events, but she still found plenty of time to be with and care for her family. My wife Donna and my daughter Debbie are just the same - Donna is involved with many local charities, including the Women's Heart Board in Washington, D.C., and organizations around the country. Debbie works full time as Marriott's senior vice president of government affairs and serves on several charity boards, but they both find time for their families.

We have many working mothers within our company, and one of these very special women, Maruiel Perkins-Chavis, was just named one of Working Mother magazine's Working Mothers of the Year. Maruiel is . . .