Marriott on the Move

I was recently interviewed on Nightline and had an opportunity to talk about my role as a Mormon bishop, which happened almost 40 years ago. I was in charge of a ward-which is really a parish-of around 800 members, and about 300-400 of them were Hispanic. I had an opportunity to work closely with these wonderful people who were struggling to make it in America and trying to keep their family together, feed their children, find a . . .

When you boil it down to the basics, the hotel business is about service. From the greeting you get as you walk in the front door, to the furniture and amenities in your guest room, to how quickly we deliver room service. I know that's how we're judged. If a problem comes up, you want us to fix it, and fast.

If we don't meet your expectations, you can go to one of our competitors. If we meet or exceed your expectations, then hopefully we'll earn your loyalty and you'll come back.

Just recently, the University of Michigan released . . .

It was my father who coined the phrase, "Take care of the associates, and they'll take good care of the guests, and the guests will come back." Most people might think that only means customer service, but it really is the mindset of how we do business. Let's talk about safety and security.

We know that feeling safe and secure at hotels is a major priority for those of us who travel. We all take it very seriously. Marriott was recently recognized as having "world class status" when it comes to safety and security. That's because we . . .

This is a special week for us here at Marriott. At our headquarters here in Bethesda, Maryland, we're honoring ten of our most outstanding associates with the Marriott Award of Excellence. They come from all four corners of the world, so they're really excited to come to Washington and see where the company's based. And an extra special gala will be held in their honor when they are presented their awards.

Each of the associates has a commitment to excellence, to teamwork, and to the "spirit to serve." And each one has a really unique story to tell.

Let me tell you a little bit about . . .

Over the past few months, I have blogged quite a bit about Marriott's Spirit To Serve Our Communities. I have talked about what we are doing to help protect our environment and conserve energy, and I have discussed how we create jobs and opportunities for people with disabilities and those in need. I feel it's our company's duty as a good corporate citizen. But we've also found that doing the right thing adds to the bottom line.

This is a very special week for us here at Marriott. It's our Associate Appreciation Week when we thank our wonderful associates for all their hard work throughout the year. My favorite part of this week is what we call our Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day. Our associates . . .