Marriott on the Move

While it's been a very difficult week since the tragic incidents in our hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia, we are so heartened by the outpouring of support from around the world and the resilience of our guests and associates at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton.

Our President of International Lodging, Ed Fuller, visited the two hotels, as well as two hospitals in Jakarta where survivors were being treated. Many of the guests were regulars at the hotels, and they encouraged Ed to open for business as soon as possible. Associates he spoke with told him how the hotel remains at the very center of their lives and is a very important part of the Jakarta community. Ed was struck by their amazing spirit and, while they . . .

There's a lot of debate among economists and business leaders about whether we're headed towards a recovery in the second half of this year. While we've seen some optimism, the data in the United States is mixed. Here at Marriott, we reported our second quarter earnings last week and our industry is always an interesting bellwether of the global economy. If business leaders feel confident, they're going to book meetings and plan travel. If consumers feel confident about their job and their income, they'll go on vacation, even if it may be just a weekend getaway.

The good news is that occupancy is stabilizing as leisure customers take advantage of the great deals out there, booking their vacations, weddings and family reunions. But corporate business continues to decline. There's no clear sign when it will recover. Similarly, the pipeline of new hotels to be built in the United States has slowed down because mortgage financing is scarce. However, we're still signing management agreements around the world and just announced our first hotel in Hanoi. It'll be a stunning 450-room JW Marriott in the city's dynamic Tu Liem District next to . . .

We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and injuries that resulted from the apparent suicide bombings today at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia. We appreciate all the words of support that have come in from members of our extended Marriott family around the world. In honor of the victims of today's terrible act of violence, our flag at Marriott headquarters is flying at half staff.

In recognition of the unfortunate realities in which we live, we have had rigorous security procedures in place at these hotels and others around the world. I want to personally assure you that the safety and security of our guests and associates has been, and will always be, one of our highest priorities.

We are currently doing our best to take care of the guests, associates and their families at the two hotels. We are also cooperating closely with the authorities as . . .

Almost everyone is feeling the effects of the current economic climate, but at Marriott we want to do everything we can to help you get away and travel. For starters, travel is good for business. But I also believe vacations and trips are a wonderful way to revive yourself during tough times and reconnect with friends and family.

That's why I'm thrilled to tell you about Marriott's newest travel promotion, The Global Rate Break. Starting today, you can book a weekend stay at more than 2,500 of our participating hotels around the world for 20% off! To see if it is available, visit www.marriott.com and use promotional code F5X. You must book . . .

Most of us have our morning routines. Mine usually starts with skimming through a couple of newspapers with my dog Murphy while we have breakfast together. It's one of the ways I stay informed about the latest world events and business trends. I also love to relax by reading a good book, sitting down in a comfortable chair and getting lost in the story.

But times are changing. My children and grandchildren check the news on their PDAs and read books on Kindles. While I can't imagine reading something from such a small screen, they love the portability and timeliness of getting their news and information on the go.

A lot of our guests are telling us the same thing. They'd rather get their news online, and they feel guilty about seeing the newspapers outside their hotel room which they don't have time to read. So this week we made a major decision: In our full-service hotels like Marriott and Renaissance, we are going to ask our guests if they want a paper delivered to their rooms, and if so, which one they prefer. In our . . .

To kick off Environmental Awareness Month this April, we are participating in an event on Saturday created by the World Wildlife Fund called Earth Hour. At 8:30 p.m. local time on March 28th, many of our hotels and offices around the world will be turning off all their non-essential lights for exactly one hour to conserve energy, raise awareness of the need to address climate change and create global conversation about the environmental future of our planet. The World Wildlife Fund's goal is to unite 1 billion people from 1,000 cities around the world in this great effort.

At Marriott, we take our commitment to protecting and preserving the environment very seriously. I've blogged many times before about what we're doing to become a greener company - reducing our energy consumption, greening our supply chain and ensuring all of our Marriott golf courses become certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. You can read about our strategy on our website or on our new Travel Green Facebook page.

I blogged a few weeks ago about . . .