Marriott on the Move

I was recently in Orlando, Florida, for a conference with owners and franchisees of our select service and extended stay brands. Those brands are Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites. It's a great event where we build and strengthen relationships, align ourselves on company initiatives and share good business practices.

We also take the opportunity to recognize our top owner and franchise performers. We handed out over 60 awards and presented 11 owners and franchisees with the Partnership Circle Award, our highest honor given for hospitality excellence.

One of the things I noticed when presenting the awards was many of these companies are run by families. Out of the 11 Partnership Circle winners, more than half are run by families, many that span multiple generations.

One of these companies, JHM Hotels, has a great story. Their chairman and CEO, H.P. Rama founded . . .

Back in March, the U.S. Travel Association launched a contest to find the face of the travel industry. They were looking for someone who embodied the character and hard working spirit of our industry. I'm proud to announce that this extremely prestigious honor went to one of our Ritz-Carlton associates, Paco Saldana.

Paco grew up in Mexico and came to the United States 13 years ago and has become an American citizen. After arriving in the U.S.A., he got a job at our Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island in Florida, where he worked his way up to become a Guest Services Manager.

His wife also worked at the hotel, which has . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

Although I'm not computer literate, I know what a key role our website, marriott.com, plays in booking business at our hotels. More than 750, 000 individuals visit marriott.com every day. Thank you for that.

While the Internet is very helpful and a useful tool, we understand that many visually impaired people have a difficult time using it. However, my son Steve, who is legally blind, relies tremendously on his computer. It speaks to him, talks to him, reads the newspaper to him, and he is really up to speed on what's going on in the world.

Many people take for granted their ability to perform everyday tasks like use the Internet, drive a car or read a book. At Marriott, we are always working hard to improve the access and services we provide to our guests with disabilities.

To help address these challenges, we are currently working with the American Foundation for the Blind, whose commitment . . .

There is a lot of excitement and anticipation throughout the United States and the rest of the world about the inauguration of Barack Obama, America's first African-American president. Never in the history of our country has there been such global interest and enthusiasm surrounding the election of our president.

It's fitting that this inaugural falls a day after an important holiday and day of remembrance in the United States when we pay tribute to the many civil rights accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King opened many doors for African-Americans in the United States during the 1960s and laid the groundwork for Obama's election through his efforts to transcend . . .