The recent Super Bowl game had me thinking about the importance of kick-offs. In football, kick-offs help set the tone for each team’s possession. They can either give a team great advantage or put a team behind before they even start a play. 

Before the grand opening day of every Ritz-Carlton hotel, there is a nine-day ‘kick-off’ known as a “countdown.” This luxury brand really understands that a great kick-off leads to success on the field.  The first few days of a Ritz-Carlton countdown begins with one of the hotel company’s founders and President, Herve Humler. Herve delivers The Ritz-Carlton history, culture and brand philosophy to all the new Ladies and Gentlemen, and then he meets with each department individually to help them write their departmental mission statements. Herve is tireless in his efforts to ensure every Ritz-Carlton we open has a mission and vision for excellence.

And with the pace that The Ritz-Carlton is opening new hotels, he seems to never stop! He  recently traveled to six different locations around the globe in 65 days… All to meet and inspire the newest ladies and gentlemen who now represent service excellence at its very best.

Multiple Ritz-Carlton trainers are brought in from other Ritz-Carlton hotels around the world to every countdown. They conduct extensive departmental training to give our ladies and gentlemen the tools to create exceptional memories for guests and teach the importance of understanding and supporting the brand’s iconic Gold Standards. As the nine-day countdown comes to a close, the hotel holds a pep rally to thank their ladies and gentlemen and get the team excited and ready for a great opening.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company really has a lot to cheer about. They’ve kicked-off some beautiful hotels in recent months, including the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in India, Kazakhstan and Israel. The ladies and gentlemen who work at these hotels know that a great kick-off, together with great training leads to long-term success. And I applaud them for their efforts!  I'm their biggest fan.  Go team go!

I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.

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