Marriott International Gives Glimpse Into the Future at First Global General Managers Conference in Five Years

LOS ANGELES and BETHESDA, Md., March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) hosted more than 1,300 attendees from around the world to unveil future innovation and growth plans for its full-service portfolio and to celebrate an 85-year legacy of service. Aptly named "Brand New World," the conference represents the first time property leaders and Marriott senior executives have gathered together since 2005. Marriott International brands participating in the conference include The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott Hotels, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, Renaissance Hotels, Autograph Collection and Marriott Executive Apartments.

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"It is exciting to see how much we've grown since our last meeting and to share all of the new and innovative things we are doing now and are planning for the future," said Arne Sorenson, president and chief executive officer of Marriott International, Inc. "We expect to open roughly 30,000 rooms this year and our development pipeline totals 110,000 rooms, which implies continued strong unit growth well beyond 2012. We are bullish about the long-term growth prospects for both Marriott and the global lodging industry. With a growing middle class and rapid economic growth in many emerging markets, global demand is increasing steadily. Our products are high quality, our guest satisfaction is very high, and our brands are preferred by owners and franchisees. New hotel openings and renovations of existing hotels continue to energize our brands, and with new designs and services, we continue to find great ways to engage our guests."

News on Marriott International's full service brands includes:

The Ritz-Carlton, a name synonymous with luxury, will continue its path of global expansion with plans to take the brand into countries such as Austria and Israel for the first time. With other openings in key gateway destinations such as Okinawa, Vienna, Abu Dhabi, Tianjin, Chengdu and Herzilya, The Ritz-Carlton expects to grow its hotel portfolio to more than 85 hotels within the next 12 months. This growth comes at a time when the brand is also renewing its exceptional service promise. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company continues to showcase the core service philosophy that makes them a successful luxury lodging company. Disrupting convention in the category, The Ritz-Carlton poses an alternative style of question to guests, asking 'Let Us Stay With You', thereby reversing the age-old approach of hotels asking guests to stay with them. Through the use of artwork, film, messaging, and digital experience platforms, guests are asked to allow The Ritz-Carlton to be much more than just a hotel; indeed to be that indelible memory that lasts a lifetime. www.ritzcarlton.com

JW Marriott Hotels, a luxury brand and namesake of the company's founder, consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today's sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering them the quiet luxury they seek in a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere. JW Marriott properties provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that reflect their locale and are delivered with an intuitive response to personal expectation. Recent news from the brand includes the introduction of several extraordinary partnerships that offer JW Marriott guests the opportunity to experience the best of culture, culinary, and well-being. Partners include exclusive relationships with CHRISTIES, Inc., Aromatherapy Associates, Keri Glassman, Treasury Wine Estates and Dr. Pamela Peeke. There are currently 53 JW Marriott hotels operating in 22 countries, with hotels expected to open by year-end 2012 in Mexico, Peru, India and Azerbaijan. By 2015 the portfolio is expected to encompass 80 properties in 29 countries. Learn more at www.jwmarriott.com.

With the goal of offering a contemporary, elegant collection of luxury hotels in gateway cities and exclusive resort locations around the world, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts was introduced in 2001. Today, Bulgari's exquisite resort destinations in Milan and Bali offer au courant Italian lifestyle experiences. The Bulgari Hotel & Residences, London is scheduled to open in spring 2012. www.bulgarihotels.com

EDITION, a luxury lifestyle hotel brand created in partnership with Ian Schrager, is on track to have six hotels operating in major global gateway cities by 2015. With the January announcement of one of Manhattan's most beloved buildings, the Metropolitan Life Tower "Clock Tower," newly announced hotel contracts in Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, as well as two hotels under construction in London and Miami Beach, EDITION expects to have hotels on three continents within three years. There is currently one EDITION Hotel open -- The Istanbul EDITION. EDITION combines the personal, intimate, individualized and unique experiences which Ian Schrager is known for, with the global reach and operational expertise of Marriott International. www.editionhotels.com

Marriott Hotels & Resorts, the signature brand of Marriott International, announced this week a collaboration with Steelcase and IDEO to revolutionize hosted work environments in its hotels and to start a dialogue around the evolving needs and mindset of Gen X and Gen Y global business travelers. The Future of Meetings Innovation Lab at the conference showcased ten meeting and work space prototypes that are currently in development. General Managers from around the world had the opportunity to experience these prototypes first-hand, offer immediate feedback and help co-create meeting spaces of the future in real time. The unveiling at the conference represents the first phase of the collaboration among Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Steelcase and IDEO, as the brand demonstrates its deep commitment to re-imagining hospitality for a new generation of global travelers. Marriott Hotels & Resorts is the company's largest brand by number of hotel rooms globally with hotels, resorts and conference centers in more than 50 countries. www.marriotthotels.com  

Renaissance Hotels, the original Lifestyle brand within the portfolio, expects to add nine new hotels this year in key destinations worldwide including Istanbul, Shanghai and Kiev. This planned expansion will further expand Renaissance Hotels' current portfolio of lifestyle hotels to encompass nearly 160 hotels in 35 countries. In addition to its continued growth, Renaissance Hotels continues to offer guests the opportunity to discover the best of entertainment through its signature RLife LIVE program, one of the hospitality industry's leading entertainment platforms. RLife LIVE is well recognized for featuring the best of new and emerging musical talent into the hotel for guest and locals. www.renhotels.com

Autograph Collection, Marriott's expanding portfolio of independent hotels that provides individualist travelers with unique experiences, recently announced the addition of The Saint in New Orleans, as well as the iconic Blue Moon and Winter Haven hotels in Miami Beach to its growing lineup. Each of the hotels is the first to join Autograph Collection in their respective cities. With these properties, the collection has accumulated an impressive 32 hotels in its portfolio since its launch in 2010, with plans to add more than 50 properties by the end of 2012 in various key markets worldwide. Along with the continued expansion of the Collection, Autograph also continues to receive rave reviews for its one-of-a-kind website, www.autographhotels.com, developed to inspire the independent traveler.

Marriott Executive Apartments is Marriott's only serviced corporate apartment brand offering the convenience of 5-star, full-service hotel facilities with the space, ambience and privacy of upscale residential living and the assurance and security of a Marriott experience. Marriott Executive Apartments properties, which are all located outside of North America, offer studio to three-bedroom apartments and are designed for executive expats staying 30+ nights, usually on temporary assignment or relocation. Each property is influenced by local design elements and features state-of-the-art facilities and technology. There are currently 22 Marriott Executive Apartments locations in 15 countries with plans to nearly double over the next five years. Visit www.marriottexecutiveapartments.com

NOTE: The statements about the future additions of hotels are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws, not historical facts, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including supply and demand changes for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of capital to finance hotel growth; and other risk factors identified in Marriott International, Inc.'s most recent annual report on Form 10-K; any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by our statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.