I've always been a big fan of Willard Scott. I love to watch him on The Today Show when he showcases Americans who have celebrated their 100th birthdays. In fact, I used to tell my mom I was sure she'd live to be 100, but she didn't quite make it. She was so excited about the possibility of being on Willard's show.
So it was with great pleasure that I cut the birthday cake as our Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires celebrated its 100th birthday. This hotel has been in the Marriott portfolio since 1994, and we're honored to fly our flag at such a prestigious hotel so rich with history and to celebrate such a wonderful occasion.
As I looked at the guest list, I found out that Teddy Roosevelt stayed at the Plaza, along with Charles de Gaulle and King Juan Carlos of Spain. I first stayed at the hotel in 1967 when I went to South America for the first time. We were down in Buenos Aires negotiating airline catering contracts with all the international carriers flying in and out of Buenos Aires. When we got ready to go back into South America with hotels, I told our people, "Go see the Plaza hotel in Buenos Aires and see if we can get a management contract." We did and it's been very successful.
Our birthday party was held at the Argentinean embassy in Washington, D.C., and was attended by the ambassador from Argentina to the United States, Hector Timerman, the Secretary of Tourism for Argentina, Enrique Miller, and the owner of the hotel, Enrique Shaw. His great-grandfather built the hotel in 1909.
The Plaza is an iconic hotel in Argentina and all of South America, which, of course, is a very fast growing region for us. In 2008, we opened 4 hotels on the continent and we expect to open a total of 7 this year, including a new Marriott hotel in Bogota, Colombia, our first property in that country.
In spite of the difficult economic climate, people are still traveling to the region and we will continue to do everything we can to encourage travelers to continue to visit Argentina and the many other beautiful countries of South America.
Happy 100th Anniversary to the Marriott Plaza Hotel and here's to another 100 wonderful years!
I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
Happy 100th Birthday to the Marriott Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires
Looks like a wonderful hotel. I was just trying to make a reservation at the Sea View Marriott in Absecon NJ. They told me it was sold a month ago. I was going to stay there on our anniversary. We love that historic old hotel and have many fond memories. Why would you sell it?
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Posted by: Aron@hotels in hawaii | 08/07/2009 at 12:12 AM
Congratulations to you, Bill, on Marriott's success. I LOVE this hotel and have stayed there several times. Amazingly, personnel both at the front desk and concierge desk recognize me immediately when I check in. I've stayed many times in both Marriotts and Hyatts on several continents, and there is no warmer feeling anywhere else that compares to this Marriott Plaza! The junior suites are superb. The personal touch? Yes--an example: in the foyer/entrance to the 2 restaurants and the bar, the gentleman who plays that grand piano so beautifully is amazing. Even when I have not been to BA for seveal months, as I stroll down the hall on this restaurant floor, the minute he recognizes me, he immediately starts playing, "New York, New York". No, I'm not a New Yorker; I'm a Texan. But, my son moved to NYC in the 1990's, and I told this pianist all about it. So, obviously, he understood my sentiment about New York, and he has played it for me many times. On only one visit to BA did I err and stay at another hotel. But, I quickly found a simple way to still hang out somewhat at the Marriott Plaza because that is where I had all my meals! Special good wishes to you, Bill, as well as the owner and wonderful employees of the Plaza. Hope to return soon!
Posted by: Billie Jones | 08/04/2009 at 05:35 PM
I am on vacation in orlando and have had terrible experience. I wish someone atthe vacation club would
have told me that there would is no one available in a supervisory role at the vacation club or interval that can help you on a sunday it is 8pm my # is 845 826 5692
Posted by: james ryan marriott Aruba owner | 08/02/2009 at 01:18 PM
The Best Marriott Hotel is the Fairfield Inn, Clarksville, TN. What makes it the very best is the people who work there.
Without the people your hotel would be like every other hotel.
Here's my story.
This is the second stay I have had at the Fairfield in Clarksville, TN. The first time my son was returning from Afghanistan and it was a celebration. This time, my son was severely injured and I had to return to Tennessee because he had severe facial injuries from an accident he encountered active duty. I drove through the night of rain twelve hours from Pennsylvania and after being at the hospital for the first two days I checked in to the Fairfield. I discovered my son's facial injuries were extent. I am unable to discuss how he encountered this accident. He was missing most of his face and had to undergo facial reconstruction and it would be a painful and horrific surgery. It is indescribable what he had to go through just to get a nose back.
The first two days I hardly spent time in my room being at Vanderbilt hospital to be with my eldest son. Last night, driving home, I felt more alone than ever before wishing my family or someone would have been able to be with me. My family wasn't able to come and we had no idea the severity of his injuries until I arrived. An Army Ranger never admits to his mother he is injured, in pain etc- He's Army strong.
The third day I arrived back to my room to discover a lovely plant and several cards.
They were from the Fairfield staff. The backbone of this business is your custodial service, maid service, front desk and the breakfast attendant. They are some of the most caring people I have ever encountered. I am a business traveler. I have traveled around the eastern half of the US and never.. and I mean never have I ever met such a caring group of people. Those cards and plant took a lonely mother of a nearly unrecoverable soldier and breathed new life into my heart to continue to press on.
I will never forget this time in my life and those who went the extra mile to give to a stranger - you really have a great group of people at this hotel and I am asking that you would consider giving each of them a monetary gift because if they have done this for me-. They have done these random acts of kindness for other guests that choose to stay at Marriott companies.
I will never be able to show my appreciation the way I would like to that is why I would like this letter to be shown to the Marriott CEO.
My sincerest thanks, and heartfelt thanks to to Lawunda, Sue, Tilda,Yeverly, Sheila, Maria, Ayu... and the HR person for this hotel
Name withheld because I don't want it to
be searchable on Google to protect my son's privacy
Posted by: CMG | 08/02/2009 at 03:24 AM
I Will never visit Marriott Hotels Again
Bad service
Posted by: Veketia Pierce | 08/01/2009 at 07:50 AM
Mr. Marriott.... I just wanted to tell you that I love your hotels. I never appreciated them more than this summer. We went on our family vacation to two destinations in Mexico. We stayed at hotels other than Marriotts. They were both horrible. I can't tell you how much I missed your wonderful beds, consistent great service, and fabulously clean rooms. I just wanted you to know that I tell everyone to only stay at Marriotts. I can't tell you how much of a difference it made to our vacation to stay somewhere other.
Posted by: Lynn | 07/30/2009 at 01:31 PM
The exterior of this hotel lends itself fantastically to the grandeur of this hotel. It has made a great many changes over the years, and I am very happy to see it has kept true to the history behind it.
Posted by: Kevin Cervelli | 07/30/2009 at 10:26 AM
Dear Mr. Marriott, I am a caretaker of quadraplegics and have three that I care for. Though my wage is less than the legal minimum wage, the Governor of MN has seen fit to cut our salary by nearly 2/3s. I have an acquaintance with Muscular Dysrrophy who is flying in today for her sister's wedding and plans to stay at the Marriott Hotel here in Minneapolis. The hotel has no means to help this severely disabled person get from the airport to the hotel with her luggage. Henceforth, I will consider your hotels as being very unfriendly to the disabled community, as I also feel about the governor. Sincerely,
AnneMarie Smisson
Posted by: AnneMarie Smisson | 07/30/2009 at 07:42 AM
The Plaza is a nice hotel, but I think it does suffer in Buenos Aires in comparison internally with, for example, the Hyatt and the Sofitel, which are simply a class above. Equally, I think most of the other Marriott brands in the immediate region - the JW in Rio, the Renaissance in SP and the Marriott in Santiago - are of better quality internally.
Posted by: Steve | 07/30/2009 at 04:15 AM
Congrats - The Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires is one of those on my list to visit. Don't know when, but it's on the list!
Posted by: Hank Mancini | 07/30/2009 at 03:08 AM
Congratulations Mr. Marriott.And also Happy 100th Birthday to the Marriott Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires.
Posted by: Zankhna Desai | 07/29/2009 at 01:40 PM
Dear Bill,
I've been a long time Silver Elite Marriott member and have always dreamed of visiting Buenos Aires. Your article is inspiring me to make that journey. I hear that Argentina is still very affordable for Americans and it would be fantastic to get the best of both worlds by staying with the familiarity of a Marriot but also a historic hotel.
Thanks for sharing,
Rich
Posted by: Rich | 07/29/2009 at 12:10 PM
ANd when are u planning to open a Marriott Hotel in Uruguay, South America. I will be more than glad to become one more time part of the family.
Posted by: Diego Sanz | 07/29/2009 at 10:32 AM