Get a Taste of Our New Blog: Marriott in the Kitchen
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Our company's roots go back to the restaurant business. My mom and dad opened their first A&W root beer stand in 1927 and when the weather got cold they put on chili, hot tamales, hamburgers and hot dogs and we were in the restaurant business. We opened a bunch of drive in restaurants called Hot Shoppes in the 1930s and 1940s and our roots are really grounded in food.
So we have always had a test kitchen at Marriott. Even back in the 1930s we were testing our recipes and making sure they were the best we could make them. We have a wonderful test kitchen here at headquarters and each month I sample the food we serve our guests in our hotels. It's a lot of fun and I give a lot of credit to Brad Nelson. He's our vice president of culinary and our corporate chef. Boy, can he cook and he's so passionate about it.
We have a lot of fun in the test kitchen because we get to sample all kinds of foods. From fancy appetizers to sliders -those are little tiny hamburgers that we can down in one gulp - and some wonderful desserts and, of course, that's always the best part.
Brad, together with Marriott's food and beverage team led by Robin Uler, have transformed our restaurants and lounges in our hotels and also changed the food we offer on our menus. They've teamed up with many celebrity chefs worldwide, like Laurent Tourondel, to really improve our restaurants. Laurent is opening BLT Steak this spring at our Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, and just opened BLT Market in the Ritz-Carlton in New York on Central Park South.
I love good food, but I know many of you, especially travelers, are like Brad - you're fanatical about food. And many of you are blogging about it. That's why I want to welcome Brad to the blogosphere. He has begun writing about everything from recipes, great restaurant experiences, chefs he's met and food and cuisines he samples in his travels around the world. Sounds like a dream job to me, but I also know how hard he works and I appreciate that. I guess that's also why he's become a blogger - to share his great passion for food with you.
Welcome, Brad, and I hope you will visit his blog site too.
I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
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Posted By: Edward A. Garabedian (3/11/2008)
Comment: It goes without saying - whether you are on business or holiday with the family - the Marriott and all of its various business and again whether you are ordering from the menu, serving yourself at one of there famous buffet lines or are in attendance at a banquet - the Marriott organization is once again a leader on the world stage both as a hotelier and when it comes to a dining experience.
Naturally, this could not be accomplished without the sincere dedication of Marriott employees who are well indoctrinated in the company's culture to ensure that "all" guests are unequivocally treated with ultimate respect as each employee fulfills there duties.
Dining is generally perceived as a pleasant time of day to spend with family, friends and/or colleagues and in each of these circumstances Marriott's food service always makes us the "guest" feel as if we are finally "home".
Our very hearty congratulations to all Marriott staff for making our days most enjoyable whenever we stay at any property domestically or internationally. Go Marriott!!!! YOU R THE BEST!!!!!
Posted By: Josh Lee (2/14/2008)
Comment: I have to say that I love food at Marriott. There is one thing that I can count on is that no matter where I go the food is great. In fact, I have come to really enjoy specifically the Reuben Sandwich, which is my first meal at any Marriott where I stay.
I do have an off topic question though...I was looking today for a place to stay for an upcoming business trip to Bermuda... Why no Marriott anywhere in Bermuda? For a nation with the highest per capita GDP in the world to not have a Marriott, just seems unthinkable. Please help?
Posted By: W. Paul Grenier (2/14/2008)
Comment: For many years I've thought of the Marriott properties as my first choice for a hotel, but the quality of the food, especially at the Courtyards does not match up to the quality of the rooms. As a result, except for breakfast, I normally do not eat my meals at a Marriott property. With breakfast, I've long wondered how it's possible to consistently create low quality scrambled eggs at so many Marriott properties around the country. At various meetings that I've attended, the conversation always seems to get around to wondering why Marriott passes up golden opportunities to keep customers, especially Elite members,in house especially for their dinners.
Posted By: Jeanbrown Schooley (2/14/2008)
Comment: Hi, Welcome Brad Nelson, I too like food. My question for you is this: "Can YOU cook a nice dinner for six people, ONLY?" Mother Marriott used to have a cook lady name of Eleanor Haney, and later she married my Uncle Hershey Bar.. So she changed her name to Eleanor Schooley. Did you every meet her or are you REALLY new? My husband and I bought our first Marriott timeshare week back in 1992... It was a funny experience and since Eleanor and Mother Marriott both said we could trust Little Bill (your boss;-) we decided to go ahead... Boy am I glad we did, we've since added more weeks for more kids, you know how the population boom has affected the world,ey?
I'll be checking your blog I love to share and try new recipes. Sincerely Cy Harbour/GrandeV-orlando owner, Jeanbrown Schooley Kenai Alaska
PS Eleanor H. Schooley was a DISASTER trying to cook "family" dinners... Great at cake for 600, but six??? too mind boggling to cut the recipe down for small crowd :-) Hugs to your boss for me.
Posted By: Tracy Lee Carroll (2/11/2008)
Comment: I love eating at Marriott restaurants. The food is always good and there is never any bad surprises. My favourite are the breakfast buffets! Always a treat.
Posted By: manuel karos (2/11/2008)
Comment: I would to compliment your staff at the Kauai Marriott Resort. The Thursday night
buffet dinner at Kuki's restaurant was outstanding and reasonably priced. The hospitality there was perfect too.
Posted By: Hank Mancini (2/11/2008)
Comment: I agree with Mr. Marriott. Desert is always the best part! The very best desert that I have ever had was delivered by room service at Marriott's Camelback Inn in Scottsdale. It was their Berry Shortcake Sundae. It came in a huge glass and was filled with fresh berries. The juice from the berries ran down over the vanilla ice cream and then soaked into the shortcake. There was whipped cream with fresh mint on top. It was was wonderful!
Posted By: GK (2/11/2008)
Comment: As a family on many an occasion when we went out to eat it was not uncommon to go to the Hot Shoppes on Kirkwood Road and Lee Highway in Arlington in edition to dining at the original at 14th and Park. Not only was the food really good but I can still recall your Managers name (Western Horseman) from that long ago.
It is that passion for excellence instilled by your family that has and will sustain your company today. Thank you for the fond memories of the past.
Posted By: Dina (2/11/2008)
Comment: You rock Mr. Marriott!!
Posted By: Dawn (2/11/2008)
Comment: I love good food. Thanks for offering such creative, good and healthy foods at your hotels.
