Marriott on the Move

When I started in the hotel business 52 years ago, the first impression customers had of our hotels was the lobby when they walked through the front doors. But in this digital age, often the first impression comes when they visit Marriott.com. It's our digital front door.

Today, when you visit the site, you'll notice the front door looks very different. We have rolled out the first stage of our complete overhaul of Marriott.com.

The site is already a huge success story. Last year, Marriott.com generated more than six billion dollars in gross revenue for Marriott. We've done . . .

When most people think about those who stay in hotels, they picture executives traveling to meet with their clients to close a deal or leisure travelers taking vacations at resorts. In our Marriott Hotels and Resorts brand, business travel makes up about 40 percent of our business, leisure travel 20 percent. You might be surprised to learn that the other 40 percent comprise what we call group travelers. They are very important business for us.

These travelers could be a sales team getting together for a seminar or a new product launch. Typically, they not only book a block of rooms, but meeting space, as well as banquets and food and beverage of all sorts and sizes.

Corporate meetings are usually held during the week. On weekends, we are hosting more weddings, family reunions and youth sports groups.

Because of our reputation for service and . . .

When I started blogging more than two years ago, I got a lot of "high-fives" from other bloggers for embracing this era of technology and trying out a new form of communication. Since then, there have been many advancements and I've learned about Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. There are probably more but it's tough to keep up with them all!

While I may not exactly be up to speed on the latest trends, I do understand and appreciate the value of social media and so does our company. And now I'd like to welcome Simon Cooper, who heads our Ritz-Carlton brand, to social media. He has started his own Twitter feed. He'll be updating all of his followers with the latest news from Ritz-Carlton hotels around the world, sharing his . . .

These days, everybody can be a filmmaker using their digital cameras, Flip cameras and even cell phones. People love to share and watch others' videos. Our Renaissance hotels are participating in an online version of a film festival called MOFILM. Eleven other companies with strong brands like Kodak, Visa and AT&T are part of the festival, also.

Each company is asking fans and aspiring filmmakers to create short videos, no longer than two minutes, to tell a story for their brand. Renaissance is looking for sophisticated yet genuine videos that show how our hotels and resorts help travelers discover the world around them.

Each of the twelve companies will choose a winner, who will receive a prize from that particular brand. The Renaissance prize is really fantastic - our winner will receive a seven day, six night trip to a major film festival of their . . .

Since I began blogging about two and a half years ago, I've learned a lot about the brave new world of communications. Our company has also made many advances, embracing social media like Twitter and YouTube. We've developed a highly interactive website for one of our brands, gocourtyard.com; and I even filmed a video entry for my blog last year about Thanksgiving. We've been doing a lot of exciting things with video lately - one of my favorites was when dance sensation David Elsewhere showed off his best moves in one of our TownePlace Suites.

And just a few weeks ago, we released another really exciting video featuring members of Washington's pro soccer team, D.C. United. The four soccer players, dressed . . .

Although I'm not computer literate, I know what a key role our website, marriott.com, plays in booking business at our hotels. More than 750, 000 individuals visit marriott.com every day. Thank you for that.

While the Internet is very helpful and a useful tool, we understand that many visually impaired people have a difficult time using it. However, my son Steve, who is legally blind, relies tremendously on his computer. It speaks to him, talks to him, reads the newspaper to him, and he is really up to speed on what's going on in the world.

Many people take for granted their ability to perform everyday tasks like use the Internet, drive a car or read a book. At Marriott, we are always working hard to improve the access and services we provide to our guests with disabilities.

To help address these challenges, we are currently working with the American Foundation for the Blind, whose commitment . . .