Marriott on the Move

Come to America

Thousands of you have been reading my blog, and hundreds of you have written to me with your ideas. I am really excited about this new communication tool.

Thirty percent of our hits have come from readers outside of the United States, which shows the growing recognition of our global brands.

Astroturf

Hi, this is Bill Marriott.  Everybody's asked me about that AstroTurf(r) story.  This is one of the great stories of our company.

My dad was a stickler for detail.  He wanted everything perfect.  He always wanted the guest to have the very best experience they could have.  Back in about 1976 or 1977, he discovered AstroTurf, and he decided that this would be a great product to put on all the concrete balconies, walkways and pool decks around our hotels.  He wanted everything to look green and pretty.  So, he was buying AstroTurf for the company, and he instructed me to get out and put it around all our hotels.

Islamabad

Hi, I'm Bill Marriott.

Today we witnessed the cruel hand of terrorism once again.  According to Pakistani authorities, our hotel in Islamabad was the target of a lone suicide bomber.  The explosion occurred by the loading dock in the afternoon local time.

Taking Pilates Classes

Hi, this is Bill Marriott. This week, I'm traveling to Los Angeles for a big hotel developers' conference. We're going to be talking about how the industry's going, and I'll review the plans for our new LA Live hotel - that's going to be a combination Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, and Ritz-Carlton Residences - right in downtown LA.

New U.S. Passport Regulations

Hi, this is Bill Marriott.  As the CEO of a global lodging company with more than 2,800 hotels around the world, I'm a big fan of removing barriers to global travel.  I think having Americans visit other countries and having people visit the USA is our very best form of diplomacy.  You just can't shake hands with an email or a fax.

Fifty Years in the Hotel Business

Hi, this is Bill Marriott, and I'm talking to you from my office at Marriott International Headquarters in Maryland.  You know, I've had a lot of great comments on that first blog.  Thank you for participating and for letting me know how you feel.

Uncharted Territory

I'm venturing into uncharted territory as I launch this blog. A year ago, I didn't even know what a blog was -- until my Communications team began telling me about all the blog traffic on travel and tourism. Now I know this is where the action is if you want to talk to your customers directly -- and hear back from them. Soon we'll add an audio version of the blog. That's how I'm most comfortable: telling stories and listening.