HOTELS LEgEnd
still have to run the business .” Sorenson likes to point to a story about how a Fortune 10 CEO told him how struck he was by the vision of Mr . Marriott walking out of the kitchen some 30 years ago before their meeting making sure breakfast service — not just their breakfast — was being managed properly . “ That ’ s just one of hundreds of thousands of examples where we can look back and ask ourselves where we were when we met Mr . Marriott and how he impacted our lives ,” Sorenson says of his boss . “ That is legendary impact .”
But Mr . Marriott , while ever the battler , is also quick to highlight the joy hotels have brought him . “ I love the business and am glad I didn ’ t get into anything else ,” he adds .
Marriott mantra Marriott is always quick to credit his colleagues and talk about the opportunities the company has provided millions of people . He also loves to brag about how the average Marriott general manager
“ He is a man wHo is quiet , but loves to connect witH people – all people across our portfolio . He is nowhere more
comfortable in business than he is when visiting our hotels .”
– Arne SorenSon has been with the company for 25 years .
“ My parents had a real strong culture they developed , and I built on that the best I could by taking care of people , training and providing opportunity ,” he says . “ It is a real thrill for me to meet with a bunch of GMs and sit around and ask how many years they ’ ve been with the company . The average is 25 years , and over 50 % started among the hourly ranks . That is a fantastic story and really important .”
The mantra to achieve this level of loyalty has always been “ hire friendly and train technical ,” whether it is at the line level or in the C-suite . “ When we hire senior execs , I want to know how strong their people skills are and how much they value the people working for them . I want to know if they are going to be leaders who care for their people or those who like to rise above their people , won ’ t listen and don ’ t engage the team . That ’ s crucial .”
Perhaps it is that ideology that really offers insight into the man . “ I ’ m not sure if everyone always appreciates his humility ,” Sorenson adds . “ He is a man who is quiet , but loves to connect with people — all people across our portfolio . He is nowhere more comfortable in business than he is when visiting our hotels . He doesn ’ t seek the stage , nor does he want to be known as a big player . He is often drawn to folks most focused on the business and least in need of their own self-aggrandizement . Maybe people don ’ t see that as much in recent years as he is so often receiving awards . Those are not things he seeks , and his humility is quite profound .”
While admittedly still never far away from the hotel business , even though he doesn ’ t sweat the day-to-day as much as he used to , when asked what is at the top of his to-do list , Marriott quickly responds , “ A date with my wife and what movie we are going to see next .”
18 HOTELS April 2015 www . hotelsmag . com