Marriott

Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company that operates and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and lodging facilities. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, it is one of the world's largest hotel operators by properties and rooms. The company manages, franchises, and licenses a wide range of brands across luxury, premium, and midrange segments and runs the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.

The company traces its origins to 1927, when founders J. Willard Marriott and Alice Marriott opened a root beer stand in Washington, D.C., later expanding into restaurants and then hotels. The business evolved into Marriott Corporation and, in 1993, split into Marriott International and Host Marriott. Marriott later expanded through acquisitions, notably purchasing The Ritz-Carlton in 1998 and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016, which added brands such as Westin, Sheraton, St. Regis, and several lifestyle and select-service brands to its portfolio.

Loyalty and brand strategy: In 2019, Marriott Bonvoy was launched, consolidating Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest into a single program. The portfolio includes luxury brands (The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott), premium brands (Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien), and select and lifestyle brands (Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Aloft, Moxy, AC Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, among others).

Operations and footprint: Marriott operates thousands of properties across more than 130 countries, employing a mix of company-operated and franchised properties. The company emphasizes growth through brand diversification, franchise partnerships, and a global loyalty ecosystem, while pursuing sustainability and social impact initiatives through programs such as Serve 360. Marriott is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MAR.