sus·tain·abil·i·ty - How do you define it?

I looked up sustainability in the dictionary the other day. It’s one of those words that I never used to come across and now it’s everywhere. The dictionary has more than ten meanings that range from protecting the health of the planet to creating jobs and improving living conditions. Marriott’s...

In This Season of Giving, I Give Thanks to Father Brake

This Thanksgiving, I want to thank someone who has dedicated his life to the art of giving. I met Father Eugene Brake at a going-away dinner for Lynn Brantley, the co-founder of Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. Father Brake is the other co-founder, and he began to tell...

A Tale of Two Guests

This is a tale of two guests. Larry Krebs lives in one of our China hotels about six months out of the year. Joy Bricker actually lived in a hotel in Falls Church, Virginia, for ten years. It was her home. (I blogged about her earlier this year.) What they...

Creating Global Opportunities - Rwanda Partnership Trains Women for Hotel Jobs

There’s an old adage that says, “If you educate a woman, you educate a generation.” That is what Elizabeth Dearborn-Hughes, founder of the Akilah Institute for Women, is doing in Kigali, Rwanda. Elizabeth, a high-energy American with a passion for helping others, fell in love with the African country the...

This is a People Business

Rick Collins is one of the reasons I love this business. He’s a Guest Service Associate at the Courtyard Nashville Downtown and according to his GM, “Rick’s heart says, ‘do the right thing all of the time.’” Rick’s on the front line, handing out room keys, checking reservations and training...

Hong Kong - Low Taxes, High Rewards

We opened our very first hotel in Asia in Hong Kong in 1989. This was really a big jump for us all the way across the Pacific Ocean. Many asked me why we didn't get there earlier and why it took so long. I said we had to get to...

Awards of Excellence

My father often said “take good care of the associates and they’ll take good care of the customers.” That’s at the heart of how we do things at Marriott every day. Our associates around the world put people first - whether it's inside the hotels or outside in the communities...

'What's Cooking' at Marriott

My career began in the restaurant business. As the company transitioned over to hotels, I never wanted to lose those roots. To this day when I visit a hotel, I often go straight to the kitchen to see what’s cooking. Now you can see what’s cooking by visiting our new...

Fond Farewell to a Marriott Friend

Listen to Blog On July 6, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal published extensive obituaries on my friend, George Lang, one of America’s most successful restaurateurs. George had a truly fascinating and exciting life. He was born in Hungary in 1924. He was Jewish and escaped a...

Honoring Marriott's Elite

Tonight, I have the privilege of being joined by our most elite associates from all around the world at our annual Awards of Excellence gala. It is an event we hold every year at our Marriott Bethesda North Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland, to honor the best of the best within...