Marriott on the Move

I'm blogging today from the brand new Courtyard by Marriott at the Newport News Airport in southeastern Virginia. Today we're celebrating Courtyard's 25th anniversary. We opened the first one in 1983 and there are a lot of alums here today who were at the first opening and who continued on with our company to today.

Since the very beginning, Courtyard has been a leader in the lodging industry, known for being innovative and specifically catering to the needs of business travelers. Twenty five years later, we're still leading the pack. We're continuing to grow, reinvent and innovate. We're in more than 30 different countries now and we'll have our 800th hotel open in 2009.

But this is really a different and exciting hotel. When you walk . . .

I'm blogging today from the Residence Inn National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. I'm here to celebrate the grand opening of this fabulous new hotel right outside of Washington, D.C. It is part of a new suburban Washington community called National Harbor. It's really a neat area with lots of restaurants and shops close by.

This hotel is a very important addition as it expands Marriott's diverse hotel ownership portfolio as it is owned by the African-American run company Integrated Capital from Los Angeles, California. Back in 2005, Marriott established the Diversity Ownership Initiative and we set a goal of . . .

Life can be pretty hectic and, just like everybody else, I sometimes like to get away to relax and recharge my batteries. My wife Donna is a big advocate of making time to be with our family and time to recharge my engines. I sure think it helps make me a better manager and a better CEO.

I know it's getting harder now for people to get away with the current economic uncertainty, high gas prices and very high airfares. A lot of people who read my blog have asked me about deals at Marriott hotels. So, if you weren't able to get away this summer, or if you want to get away before the year ends, I'm excited to tell you about one of our very best offers yet.

We're offering 20 percent off weekend rates at more than 2,500 of our Marriott hotels now through December 21st. All you . . .

I'm blogging today from the newly renovated BWI Courtyard near Baltimore Washington International Airport in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the latest Courtyard hotel to feature the brand's brand new lobby concept and design. The new lobby is already in place at a few Courtyard hotels, including the Fair Oaks Courtyard, which is right down the road in Fairfax, Virginia.

I had a great tour today. As I walked in, the first thing I saw was the GoBoard telling me all about the exciting things to see in the Baltimore area - the zoo, the various restaurants available, the aquarium. I noticed that there were a lot of people working on their computers and hooked up to the WiFi, which is free.

But the most impressive thing when you walk into our lobby is the terrific display of food and beverage offerings. There are . . .

I'll always remember when we opened our first hotel in Mexico, which was a resort in Acapulco on the beach, overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. This was a long time ago - about 1968. Today we have 16 hotels in Mexico and we just announced a huge expansion - adding 23 hotels in our pipeline that now stands at 29. That means the number of hotels we have in Mexico should triple in five years.

Even during the economic slowdown, Marriott is continuing to grow for the future. Hotel development outside the United States is driving a lot of . . .

A couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to visit the Renaissance ClubSport hotel in Aliso Viejo in Southern California. It's part of a new brand we call ClubSport that's an extension of our Renaissance brand.

It's a fitness resort because the 174-room hotel has a 75,000 square foot health club, all under one roof. People who live and work near the hotel can buy memberships and hotel guests can use the club for free. It's a fabulous amenity. If you're like me and . . .