Smiles are Better Than Smiley Faces

I had lunch the other day with our terrific general managers from select service and extended stay brands known as CFRST – Courtyard, Fairfield Inn and Suites, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and Towneplace Suites. We talked about social media and how it’s changing customer service. As I listened to our...

You Ate, We Gave

In May of this year, Marriott International hotels made major donations to The Prince’s Trust (UK hotels) and SOS Children’s Villages (Continental European hotels). These charitable partners are part of our “World of Opportunity Europe” initiative which helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds reach their full potential by providing employment...

A Tale of Two Graduations

Gonzalez & Marriott Families at Cornell University Graduation I recently attended the graduation ceremonies at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Our grandson, Matthew, was receiving his masters in hotel administration. It was a great thrill to see him walk across the stage and receive his diploma. Matthew is our daughter...

Why You Should Hire a Vet

Monday marks an important day in our nation’s history. It’s Memorial Day. While many of us will be grilling up some burgers and enjoying the warm weather with our family and friends, this day honors the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country— laying down their...

Marriott Gets Small Business

Our Small Business in 1927 This week is National Small Business Week and it got me thinking about our company’s start as a small business. Eighty-seven years ago this month, my father and mother opened the first A&W franchise in Washington, D.C. They started out with six employees and a...

Deciding to Decide

Touring the Marriott Marquis Washington DC due to open in a few weeks. There are many things that I learned while growing up in my church. One was what former church presi­dent Spencer W. Kimball termed “deciding to decide.” For me, I personally decided that I simply wouldn’t do certain...

Marriott's 'Spirit to Serve' is in Good Hands

When I was a boy and young man, community service was of little or no interest to me. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I considered my Naval service career enough. No one had even thought of recycling or wearing a seat belt for that matter. We had sacrificed during the...

Take Me Out to the … New Baseball Academy

The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd. The smell of fresh popcorn and peanuts in the air. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of opening day for baseball fans. So much potential and promise for your favorite team to make it all the way to the Fall...

Great on the Road With Courtyard

I’m not one to sit still. I like to get out, tour our hotels and meet our guests. I make sure to thank our customers for their business. One way we reward them is through our Marriott Rewards program. We now have more than 45 million members in 71 countries....

The Ritz-Carlton Kicks-Off Right

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...