The Ritz-Carlton Names Herve Humler President & COO

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Aug 12, 2010, 07:00 ET

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International, Inc.'s (NYSE: MAR) award-winning luxury brand announced today the appointment of Herve Humler as President & Chief Operations Officer. Mr. Humler, one of the original founders of The Ritz-Carlton in 1983, will be responsible for leading the brand's operations and global growth strategy and championing its distinctive service culture. Based at The Ritz-Carlton headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland, he will also oversee Bulgari Hotels & Resorts and report to Robert J. McCarthy, Marriott International Group President.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100812/NE49555 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100812/NE49555 )

"Herve is a true international hotelier with more than 35 years in the luxury lodging business and has helped to build The Ritz-Carlton into a world-class brand," said McCarthy. "We feel most fortunate to have Herve in this position of increased responsibility where he can continue to provide his strong leadership to this iconic brand."

Mr. Humler will replace Simon F. Cooper, who has been named Marriott International's new President & Managing Director for Asia Pacific. Throughout his career, Mr. Humler has held many key senior positions within The Ritz-Carlton, including Global Chief Operations Officer and head of the brand's international region. In his new role, he will oversee 76 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean and the opening of more than 30 new hotel and residential projects currently underway. The Ritz-Carlton just received the highest ranking for luxury hotels in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates annual customer survey.

Before joining The Ritz-Carlton, Mr. Humler held senior management positions with Hyatt Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels and The Princess Hotel in Bermuda, and received his degree in hotel management from The Hotel School in Nice, France.

The Ritz-Carlton, of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates 76 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe with future openings including Dubai International Financial Centre, United Arab Emirates; Toronto; and Hong Kong. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. For more information, or reservations, contact a travel professional, call toll-free in the U.S. 1-800-241-3333, or visit the company website at www.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) -- for more information on Marriott International, visit www.MarriottNewsCenter.com.