Nabs two awards from black hotelier’s trade group
It’s one thing to set diversity goals.
It’s another thing to meet them.
It’s yet another to accomplish the first two and then immediately speak of higher goals.
Marriott International Inc. is doing just that after announcing this week that it is on track to exceed the minority ownership and supplier diversity goals it set for itself in 2005.
The 2010 goal to have 500 minority- and women-owned Marriott hotels is well on its way to being met with the more than 400 minority- and women-owned hotels in the Marriott system.
Additionally, of the $1 billion the company plans to spend with diverse suppliers by 2010, $347 million was already spent in 2005 alone. The company now says that number will certainly grown in the future, not stay at its present level.
“We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made so far,” said Norman Jenkins, senior vice president, North American Lodging Development, Marriott International. “We’ve been able to bring in new owners at record numbers.”
At the NABHOOD (National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers) conference in Atlanta this week, Marriott received the organization’s first annual “Champion Award” for its diversity leadership, as well as the “Supplier Diversity Award” for its efforts to expand business opportunities to minority suppliers.
“We’re proud of these achievements and are excited about the future as Marriott continues to expand its business partnerships,” said Dave Sampson, senior vice president, Diversity Initiatives, Marriott International.
Earlier this year, RLJ Development, LLC, the largest African-American hotel investment company in the U.S., announced a definitive agreement to acquire 100 hotels from White Lodging Services Corporation – of which 90 are Marriott International hotels. Once completed in the next 6-18 months, RLJ Development will become one of Marriott’s largest hotel owners.
Integrated Capital, a Los Angeles-based majority African-American-owned real estate equity group, has acquired the 285-luxury room Ventura Beach Marriott in Southern California. The Ventura property becomes the third Marriott property owned by Integrated Capital in just 15 months. The group’s other two Marriott properties include the Residence Inn in Columbia, Md., and the Residence Inn in Silver Spring, Md., both in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
“Having diversity in every aspect of the company is a business priority at Marriott,” said Jenkins.
“We believe in being proactive on the issue of diversity at every level.”
High grade from NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ranked the company the highest of any global lodging company for the seventh time in its annual lodging industry report card.
Marriott received a B- grade on the organization’s Economic Reciprocity Initiative (ERI) industry report card, which focuses on employment, vendor relations, property ownership, advertising/marketing and charitable giving within the African-American community.
J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, said, “As we have set our sights on becoming the lodging industry’s diversity leader, we’re very gratified to know our efforts have received this important recognition.”
The NAACP announcement comes as Marriott continues to solidify its position at the forefront of the industry in several diversity areas, including franchising, supplier diversity, and the attraction, development and retention of talent.
Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names.