J W Marriott has achieved the American dream. He built an international hotel empire by using ethical business practices and making wise decisions.
His accomplishments in the business world have won him much acclaim and worldwide notoriety. He is an inspiration to CEOs and hospitality students alike.
He is also the author of a book offering personal development advice to business owners called “A Spirit To Serve: Marriott’s Way.”
Background of J W Marriott
J W Marriott was born on March 25, 1932 into a Mormon family. His father was J. Willard Marriott, a wealthy business owner who founded the Marriott hotel chain and owned several restaurants and two theme parks. His father was born into poverty and became a self-made success by starting with a single restaurant and growing his acquisitions. Marriott learned a great deal about the business world from his father.
J W Marriott was born in Washington DC and moved to Utah for his college education where he received a degree in finance. After graduating from the University of Utah, he served in the US Navy as an officer.
In 1956, he joined his father by getting on board with the Marriott Corporation. In 1964, he was made a member of the Board of Directors and named Vice President. By the end of that year, he was president of Marriott Corporation. In 1985 he was named Chairman of the Board.
J W Marriott is considered an innovator in the industry because he steered the company towards property management and franchising and away from hotel ownership. This move allowed Marriott to accelerate its growth and allowed them to operate under many different brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn and Marriott Resorts just to name a few.
J W Marriott is very active in the business world and serves on important councils such as the World Travel and Tourism Council, National Urban League, National Geographic Society, National Business Council, and the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. Like his father before him, he is active in the Mormon church and his hotel chain continues to provide Mormon bibles along with Gideon bibles in every hotel room.
J W Marriott is also a devout family man. He has been married to his wife over 50 years and is loved by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His family is active in community life as well in the Washington DC area where they reside.
“A Spirit To Serve” By J W Marriott
• “A Spirit To Serve: Marriott’s Way,” was published in 1997. This is an inspirational book for anyone interested in starting a business, particularly in the hospitality sector. It is also an interesting read for those curious about the background of the Marriott hotel empire. The book is part personal development advice for business owners and part autobiographical. J W Marriott tells how his father was born into poverty and grew the hotel chain and other holdings into a small empire by the time of his death. Marriott then goes on to explain how his business decisions took the hotel holdings into a new direction and made them an international company and the huge success Marriott International is today.
In “A Spirit To Serve,” J W Marriott covers topics such as being willing to make decisions, doing the necessary background work, listening to your heart, and not regretting mistakes. He teaches readers that mistakes happen and they should be viewed as learning experiences and that time spent regretting them is wasted time. He also touches on areas of employee treatment and standards of operation. This book offers useful insight into what makes a successful hospitality business tick. This great American success story is sure to inspire anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.
J W Marriott Today
J W Marriott relinquished his role as Chairman of the Board in 2012 but still continues to influence the company. In his eighth decade of life, he chooses not to retire, but to oversee the growth and direction of his hotel empire.
The Marriott hotel chain and franchise thrived under his 60 years of leadership. With his trademark hands-on management style that emphasizes the importance of people whether they are guests or employees, Marriott grew the chain to 3700 properties in 73 countries that employs over 300,000 individuals.
Due to his leadership style, Marriott International has been named by Fortune as one of the best places to work and one of the most admired companies.
J W Marriott shares lessons learned during his highly successful business career with others willing to read or listen. He is occasionally seen in media appearances and keeps in touch with fans and others in the hospitality industry through his blog that he updates often. He covers an interesting variety of topics on his blog, including transcripts of his interviews, personal development advice for leaders, and discussion of new trends in the business world and hospitality industry.
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