Marriott on the Move

The very first JW Marriott hotel opened right here in Washington, D.C. way back in 1984. And this year marks our 25th anniversary of the JW Marriott brand. We never envisioned making it a separate brand. We really just wanted to honor my dad who started the company in 1927.

It was a terrific opening. My dad was so touched as he quoted from the old cowboy song, "It's a Long, Long Way Awinding" from his early boyhood days in Utah herding sheep.
He couldn't believe he was standing in such a beautiful hotel that still today remains one of the brand's flagship hotels.

Since this D.C. hotel first opened its doors in February of 1984, the JW Marriott brand has . . .

Today I'm blogging from our headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, where we are holding a huge celebration to welcome our Spirit of Aloha Tour. Anyone who has been to one of the Hawaiian Islands falls in love with the beautiful scenery and the wonderful Aloha hospitality.

Unfortunately, during these difficult times, travel to Hawaii has dropped off. That's why our team in Hawaii put on their thinking caps and decided to embark on the Spirit of Aloha Tour in the continental United States. It is a fantastic, grassroots effort to generate awareness and encourage people to come visit these beautiful islands.

The bus tour began on January 12 in San Diego, California, and they originally planned to stop in eight cities along the west coast, but the tour proved so successful and popular, it was extended across the Midwest and east coast. It ended here today with . . .

It's been a short three months since terrorists struck our Marriott hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. It was a terrible loss for the owner of the hotel, Sadruddin Hashwani. Many associates and guests were killed and the building was destroyed by fire. But Mr. Hashwani was determined from that first night to rebuild the hotel, and I'm proud to tell you that yesterday, the hotel began to reopen. What a triumph of the spirit.

I would like to congratulate and commend Mr. Hashwani, his family and all of our wonderful associates for their hard work and dedication rebuilding and reopening this wonderful hotel in record time. It shows their resolve to keep the doors of commerce and communication open by creating an environment where people . . .

Hi, I'm Arne Sorenson, Marriott's chief financial officer, guest-blogging for Bill Marriott, who wanted me to share with you our reflections on the economy and Marriott's prospects. With the slowdown, our stock value has eroded meaningfully in the past year. Just because we have plenty of company doesn't make the decline any easier. Before things get better, we're going to have to navigate through a tough 2009. We said last October that we expected revenue per available room or RevPAR, one of the industry's key performance measures, to be down at least three percent in North America next year. Just about a month ago, Bill Marriott reported that our business outlook had further weakened. Industry-wide data has also been showing continuing RevPAR declines.

Despite this, and even though the U.S. has been in a recession since December 2007, we have much to be thankful for. First and foremost, we have a terrific management team, beginning with Bill Marriott, who has been through significant downturns before and has noted that each time we've come back stronger. We also have a great brand lineup which helps deliver strong returns for our hotel owners and franchisees.

Our business strategy of managing and franchising hotels protects us in slowdowns and primes . . .

It has been a very difficult few days since a truck bomb detonated in front of our Islamabad Marriott hotel in Pakistan. Many lives were lost and many more were injured. As you may have heard by now, the entire security team on the ground at the entrance to the hotel was killed in the attack. These brave men were simply doing their jobs and gave their lives in an effort to protect the guests at their hotel, as well as their fellow associates. They will forever be remembered as heroes and I send my deepest condolences to their families and friends.

I would also like to thank you, the readers of my blog, for your outpouring of support and condolence. I truly appreciate each and every comment I've received, and I've read them all. Many of you have asked how you can help those affected by the attack and help their families. We have established the Islamabad Marriott Assistance Fund. Marriott International and the Marriott Family Foundation are kicking it off by together donating $100,000. Your generosity is greatly appreciated during these very difficult times.

Many of your comments mirror my view . . .

I am very sad to report a terrible tragedy at our Marriott hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. At approximately 7:00 p.m. local time, a large truck pulled up to the security checkpoint of the heavily guarded hotel and exploded. The huge blast engulfed the front of the hotel and ruptured a gas line, which caused a large fire to break out.

The situation is still unfolding. Right now, we can't confirm the number of people who have died or have been injured, but news reports are numbering it in the dozens, most of them Marriott employees.

This senseless tragedy and the profound loss of life has left me greatly saddened. My heart goes out to those who've been injured and the families of the victims.

We put a very high premium on security at Marriott. In this case, I salute the bravery of the security personnel who were right there when the suicide bomber struck. They had stopped the truck just outside the fortified gate. They were examining it when the bomb detonated. Sadly each member of the team was killed. These guys were defending the lives of hotel guests and their fellow co-workers. They were killed in the line of their duty.

Currently, our associates who escaped serious injury are doing whatever they can to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. The actions of these associates in Islamabad and their desire and willingness to help in a time of such tremendous tragedy are a true testament to Marriott's culture.

I want to thank everyone who has left comments of condolence on my blog.