The Marriott Company
One of the companies on Fortune magazine’s list of the most admired companies is Marriott International. It is the world leader in the hotel business, franchising over fifteen various brands around the world, including The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, and Residence Inn. Over the years, Marriott has become a brand associated with the highest standards of hospitality. Founded in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott, the company’s growth and prosperity are also the result of the hard work and dedication of their son, J. W. “Bill” Marriott.
J. Willard Marriott started out in food service with his Hot Shoppes restaurant chain and A&W Root Beer (“Our Story” 1). Ten years later, Hot Shoppes started providing “in-flight” food service to the passengers at the airport. In 1957, J. Willard entered the hospitality business, opening the first hotel in Virginia: the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel, managed by Bill Marriott (“Our Story” 1). In 1967, Hot Shoppes Company transformed into Marriott, Inc. During the last decades of the twentieth century, Marriott diversified intensively, launching many brands. Moreover, Marriott was the first in the hospitality business to provide their guests with the possibility of booking their reservations online.
Promoting Ethics and Innovation
The innovative character of Marriott International is an asset of the company, as well as an appealing quality for its potential employees. E-commerce and implementation of new technological solutions are essential parts of Marriott’s strategy (“The Power of Marriott” 7). The company’s staff training program, with the use of the latest technologies, is an opportunity for developing the staff’s full potential. Emphasizing the aspect of innovation is a sign that the company has not stopped evolving and improving the quality of its services and facilities. This is the most attractive quality of Marriott International. When a company takes nothing for granted and focuses on constant development, an employee can be certain that their work will be appreciated and properly rewarded.
Moreover, Marriott stresses the importance of ethical issues. In 2011, the company conducted ethical training, “Ethics and Human Rights” (“Marriott International, Inc.” 1), and was involved in such programs as the Youth Career Initiative and SOS Children’s Villages. In addition, new software was recently put into use, which helps the disabled surf the Internet using personalized customer service and cutting-edge assistive technology (“Core Values & Heritage” 1). The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative and Energy and Environmental Action Plan were also implemented in 2011-2012 (Gardetti 37). Apart from the ethical dimension, Marriott stands out, due to the multicultural character of its workforce. Minorities occupy 26% of its managerial positions. Thus, Marriott has many appealing dimensions, encouraging a potential employee to join their team.
Informational Interview Report
An interview with a restaurant manager at the Marriott Hotel in St. Louis has provided valuable insights. The manager, Charlie, has worked at Marriott St. Louis for over three years. When asked why he chose this career path, he clarified that he never anticipated working in a hotel, let alone Marriott. Charlie admitted that he took an interest in how restaurants worked during a year off after high school graduation. He used to complain constantly about the food and service in certain places. After a while, he decided he knew how to improve restaurant service. However, the job of restaurant manager also requires a wide range of management skills, so Charlie had to gain the necessary educational experience first. He received a Diploma in Hospitality Supervision & Leadership. By the time he graduated, he had already gained some work experience in the local restaurant chains, so he could directly apply the knowledge he had received.
Current Position
Getting the prestigious position of the restaurant manager at a Marriott Hotel did not happen by chance. It took Charlie three years after college graduation to gain enough experience, mostly in fine dining restaurants, which paved the way to Marriott. When he learned that there was an opening for a restaurant manager, he felt confident enough to apply. The experience he gained after college was suitable for this job.
When asked about his daily routine, he admits that it involves a lot of paperwork, although part of it is managed by his supervisors. Apart from planning the menus and scheduling shifts, he has to supervise various processes in the restaurant, as well as ensure that all employees are sufficiently trained.
Crucial ideas
Hospitality, he says, is not merely the attitude displayed toward the customers. It is a global approach, where the superiors take care of their subordinates. Otherwise, how can you expect them to take good care of the customers? Indeed, it is a crucial concept to understand, and at Marriott it is an integral part of the company’s hotel policy (Woolfe 54). In this way, Charlie mentions the feature of the company which is the most appealing, namely, its dedication to ethics and innovation. “It is really gratifying to see how the company continues to evolve and watch your working process benefit from it.” According to Charlie, training in new technology is mandatory for all managerial employees and is conducted on a regular basis.
The hospitality business offers many interesting career opportunities. Learning about Marriott helped understand how the industry works. While it is undeniable that this field is increasingly competitive, a career in hotel management is definitely worth considering.
References
Core Values and Heritage. n.d. Web.
Gardetti, Miguel, and Ana Laura Torres. Sustainability in Hospitality. How Innovative Hotels Are Transforming the Industry. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing Limited, 2016. Print.
Marriott International, Inc. Our Commitment to Human Rights. 2012. Web.
Our Story. n.d. Web.
The Power of Marriott International. n.d. Web.
Woolfe, Lorin. The Bible on Leadership. From Moses to Matthew – Management Lessons for Contemporary Leaders. New York: Amacom, 2002. Print.