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...

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...

22 Hotels in 10 Days - My Trip to China

I'm just returning from an amazing visit to Asia. It all started in Japan, then on to Hong Kong, Shanghai, and finally Beijing. Asia is our main growth area and at present with China driving this growth, it's our second biggest market outside of the U.S. We have 58 hotels...

Living Well

When we launched the JW Marriott brand, which is named after my father, we envisioned something really special. We like to describe the brand’s unique personality as “quiet luxury” – a first class experience that lacks pretense, but strives to enhance the guest experience with art, nutrition, culture and overall...

ExecuStay on the Move

You may have heard that Marriott recently announced it was selling its corporate housing brand, ExecuStay, to Oakwood Worldwide. That transaction became effective May 1 and represents yet another step we’ve taken to ensure our company can focus entirely on managing and franchising our lodging brands. The move was good...

What's an Executive Chairman?

I don’t have an opportunity to hand out many business cards, but my new card says “Executive Chairman.” You don't see that job title popping up on careerbuilder.com. You might be wondering what my new job is all about. I guess you need 40 years of experience as CEO. It...

I'm Blown Away, Thanks to our GM's

I recently attended our full service General Manager's conference in Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE. With hotels in 73 countries, our general session was like a United Nations general session. We were all there to learn about the innovative things being developed by our brands, to share best practices and...

Welcoming the World

A USA Today headline caught my eye the other day. It read: "Chinese travelers are seeing the USA in record numbers." A follow up article said: “NYC’s Marriott Marquis ready for Chinese visitors.” What’s happening in U.S. tourism is really exciting. Barriers are being removed and we’re taking steps to...

The Year of the Dragon

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! 2012 is the year of the Dragon. Let the week-long celebrations begin. That’s right, an entire week of brilliant fireworks and colorful parades. It’s truly an amazing spectacle. Think Times Square – but a whole lot bigger! Our Marriott hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and Sanya, will...

A Big Day for U.S. Tourism

"The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work.” -- President Obama, January 19, 2012 Listen to Blog This year 1 billion people are expected to travel outside their own countries to see and experience the world. And for every 35 of those international visitors,...