Making an Empire, Marriott Style
Hotel king Bill Marriott on his father, Mormonism and his success.
June 21, 2007 — -- If there's one thing every Marriott employee knows, it's that the soup had better pass the boss's test. Not too thick, not too thin -- it has to be just right.
For his employees, 75-year-old Bill Marriott is something of a cult figure. When he tours his hotels it's almost like he's a rock star. People want to take pictures with him. They're thrilled that he's in the room -- not the greeting many bosses receive from their staff.
According to Marriott, it's quite an experience. "It's very satisfying to know that they respect me and that they respect the family…I've always said in the service business, having your name over the door is important because people can identify with a person."
In the post-Enron era when CEOs tend to generate publicity for cutting corners and questionable business practices, Marriott sets a different standard. His attention to detail is legendary, as is his devotion to his employees. He thinks both have been the key to the company's success.
A $12 billion a year empire, Marriott is now one of the largest hotel chains in the world, including everything from the posh Ritz Carltons to the affordable Courtyard Marriotts. And Marriott, never satisfied, is always pushing for more and better -- even after surviving two heart attacks and recovering from third degree burns from a serious boating accident.
Still, almost nothing escapes his watchful eye. He drops in to personally inspect hundreds of hotels a year, something he has been proud of for decades. His managers are expected to maintain that same standard of quality, and he gives them a 159 page long checklist to ensure that they do.
Then again, the business is practically part of Marriott's DNA. His father, J.W. Marriott, raised the family flag in 1927 with a root beer stand in Washington, D.C., called the Hot Shoppe.
Marriott explained the values his dad passed down. "I learned hard work. He was a tremendously hard worker all his life. You know he started out with nothing and he built a great company."
