Chinese Version of Lodging Industry Icon Bill Marriott's Book Reveals Secrets of Success

Available Now

Beijing, China, 11 January 2015 - After 40 years at the helm of one of the largest global hotel empires, executive chairman of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) J.W. 'Bill' Marriott, Jr., offered a revealing and candid glimpse of what he has learned in a lifetime of hosting the world, in his book Without Reservations: How A Family Root Beer Stand Grew Into a Global Hotel Company in 2013. The highly-anticipated Chinese version of this book is now available in major bookstores and eRetailers, as well as the 80 plus hotels of Marriott International in China.

Retail price of this book is set at RMB59.9 per copy. Parts of proceeds will be donated to Yao Foundation, the key Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner of Marriott International in China. Yao Foundation is a community organization founded by former basketball player Yao Ming aiming at fostering children education in rural China.

In the book, Marriott reveals never-before-shared personal stories and business lessons, such as his decision to relinquish the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) helm - after 40 years - to Arne Sorenson, the first CEO in company history without the last name Marriott. He candidly discusses why one of his four children wasn't tapped as his successor.

Explaining his intention of writing the book, 83-year-old Bill Marriott said: 'I felt that it was time to write some things down and share the secret to our company's success -- especially our core values that create the foundation for how we take care of our people and the way we do business all around the world. I also thought it was time to share a few memorable and entertaining stories that may really surprise folks.'

As devoted to his personal family as he is to his 'family' of more than 300,000 associates at managed and franchised hotels worldwide, Marriott reflects on a range of compelling topics in the book, including the role his mother played in the growth and direction of the company; the importance of touch points-moments of interaction that can make all the difference between a customer's satisfaction and disappointment; why you should say 'thank you;' the impact of 9/11 on the travel industry; his recipe for success and leadership guideposts that were in a letter from his father that proved to be invaluable; decisions made-and not made and how the competition and next generation travelers are fueling unprecedented innovation.

During his tenure as CEO, Marriott boldly transformed his parents' original Hot Shoppes family restaurant chain into a global lodging giant that encompasses a portfolio of nearly 4,300 hotels across 19 brands in 85 countries with reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014.

Part biography, part business digest, Without Reservations presents a candid perspective on achieving the pinnacle of one's profession and lessons learned along the way.

'A key competitive strength of Marriott International is our strong corporate culture which can date back to its inception. Distilling from Mr. Marriott's invaluable experiences and insights, Without Reservations gives a full account on how our company's winning formula has been shaped. For those who aspire to build a successful career in hospitality, in fact all kinds of businesses, Without Reservations certainly will give you a lot of inspirations. I am pleased that its simplified Chinese version is now available as China is arguably one of our most important markets in this region,' said Craig S. Smith, President and Managing Director of Marriott International, Asia Pacific.

Marriott hasn't shown signs of slowing down. He is still a company leader and has a strong following on his blog. To purchase and find out more about the book, including early praise from past U.S. presidents and business leaders, visit http://www.marriott.com/marriott/without_reservations.mi.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with more than 4,300 properties in 85 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 54 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

Marriott International Inc. issued this content on 25 January 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 25 January 2016 14:43:25 UTC

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