Marriott International

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Marriott International
Type Public (NYSE: MAR)
Founded May 15, 1927 in Washington, D.C.
Headquarters Flag of the United States Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Key people J. W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr. Chairman and CEO
William J. Shaw Vice Chairman
Arne M. Sorenson President and COO
Industry Hospitality, Tourism
Products Hotels, resorts
Revenue ▲US$ 13.3 billion (2008)
Net income ▲US$ 696 million (2008)
Employees 151,000 (2008) [1]
Website www.marriott.com (USA)

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities.

Its heritage can be traced to founder J. Willard Marriott's experience as a Mormon missionary[citation needed] and later operating a root beer stand. He and his wife, Alice, opened the stand in Washington, D.C., in 1927. The Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia is Marriott International’s longest operating hotel, and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2009.[2] Their son and current Chairman and Chief Executve Officer, J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr. has led the company to spectacular worldwide growth. Today, Marriott International has about 3,150 lodging properties located in the United States and 67 other countries and territories.

Marriott's operations are grouped into the following five business segments:

Contents

[edit] History

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere.[4]

Marriott International was formed in 1992 when Marriott Corporation split into two companies, Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation.

In 2002 Marriott International began a major restructuring by spinning off many Senior Living Services Communities (which is now part of Sunrise Senior Living) and Marriott Distribution Services, so that it could focus on hotel ownership and management. The changes were completed in 2003.[5]

Marriott International headquarters in the Bethesda area of unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Marriott Hotel Zürich, Switzerland
Singapore Marriott Hotel

In April 1995, Marriott International acquired a 49% interest in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC.[6] Marriott International believed that it could increase sales and profit margins at the Ritz, a troubled chain with a significant number of properties either losing money or barely breaking even. The cost of Marriott's initial investment was estimated to be about $200 million in cash and assumed debt. The next year, Marriott spent $331 million to take over the Ritz-Carlton Atlanta and buy a majority interest in two properties owned by William Johnson, a real estate developer who had purchased the Boston Ritz Carlton in 1983 and expanded his Ritz holdings over the next twenty years.

The Ritz began expansion into the lucrative timeshare market among other new initiatives made financially possible by the deep pockets of Marriott, which also lent its own in-house expertise in certain areas. There were other benefits for Ritz-Carlton flowing from its relationship with Marriott, such as being able to take advantage of the parent company's reservation system and buying power. The partnership was solidified in 1998 when Marriott boosted its interest in Ritz-Carlton to 99 percent. By 1999 revenues from the 35 hotels it operated around the world totaled about $1.4 billion.

Marriott International owned Ramada International Hotels & Resorts until its sale on September 15, 2004 to Cendant. It is the first hotel chain to serve food that is completely free of trans fats at all of its North American properties.[7][8]

In 2005, Marriott International and Marriott Vacation Club International comprised two of the 53 entities that contributed the maximum of $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush.[9] [10] [11]

On July 19, 2006, Marriott announced that all lodging buildings they operate in the United States and Canada would become non-smoking beginning September 2006. "The new policy includes all guest rooms, restaurants, lounges, meeting rooms, public space and employee work areas."[12]

[edit] Great America Parks

Marriott also owned two theme parks entitled Marriott's Great America from 1976 until 1984. The parks were located in Gurnee, Illinois and Santa Clara, California respectively and were themed towards celebrating America's great history. The American themed areas under Marriott's tenure of ownership included Carousel Plaza, the first section beyond the main gates; small-town-themed Hometown Square; The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition At County Fair with its Turn of the Century rural-fair theme; Yankee Harbor, inspired by a 19th century New England port; Yukon Territory, resembling a Canadian/Alaskan logging camp; and the French Quarter-modeled Orleans Place. Both parks had almost identical maps (although this isn't true today due to ownership changes.

In 1984, Marriott decided to remove the theme park division from it's company and both parks were sold to very popular theme park chains. The Gurnee location was sold to Six Flags Theme Parks where it operates today as Six Flags Great America. The Santa Clara location was sold to Kings Entertainment Company which became Paramount Parks in 1993. From 1993 to 2006, the Santa Clara location was known as Paramount's Great America. However, in 2006, the Santa Clara location and 4 other parks were sold to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company where the park operates today as California's Great America.

[edit] Marriott Brands

[edit] Full Service Lodging

[edit] Select Service Lodging

[edit] Extended Stay Lodging

[edit] Timeshare

[edit] References

  1. ^ Standard and Poor's 500 Guide. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. 2007. ISBN 0-07-147906-6. 
  2. ^ Key Bridge Marriott Hotel Prepares for 50th Anniversary With $30 Million Renovation of Event Space
  3. ^ "The Great Energy Scam" from TIME, October 2003
  4. ^ Official World's 100 Tallest High Rise Buildings (Hotel Use). Emporis.com. Retrieved on July 5, 2009.
  5. ^ 2003 10-K report
  6. ^ fundinguniverse
  7. ^ "Marriott says trans fats will check out" from USA Today
  8. ^ "Marriott to Cut Trans FatAt U.S., Canada Hotels" from The Wall Street Journal online
  9. ^ Drinkard, Jim (2005-01-17). "Donors get good seats, great access this week". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-16-inauguration-donors_x.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 
  10. ^ "Financing the inauguration". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-16-inaugural-donors_x.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 
  11. ^ "Some question inaugural's multi-million price tag". USA Today. 2005-01-14. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-14-price_x.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-25. 
  12. ^ Marriott Goes Smoke-Free

[edit] External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marriott hotels
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