How was Marriott first started?
J.W. Marriott Senior opened an A&W Root Beer Shop in Washington, DC in 1927. At that time A&W did not sell food and most
of the A&W owners went South for the winter. However, he did not want to do that and so he opened his own root beer stand
that sold hot food and called it "Hot Shoppe". Then more Hot Shoppes opened and they even started doing airline catering.
In 1957 Marriott opened its first hotel and it has now grown to over 2500 hotels worldwide. Bill Marriott Jr. is currently
the Chairman and CEO of Marriott International.
How long have you been with Marriott?
I have been with the company for fifteen years. I started as a Director of Loss Prevention for the New Orleans Marriott
Hotel. Then I was the Director of Human Resources for a Marriott in Houston, Texas. I then transferred to the headquarters
in Washington, D.C. as an Internal Investigations Manager, and then I went to my current position, which is Director of
Loss Prevention Services.
What are your responsibilities?
I oversee the Architectural and Constructions Department in regards to the safety and security of the design and standards
of the hotels. I work with our Operations Department in the development of corporate safety and security standards. I oversee
the statistical reporting of our losses so we can track trends of accidents and other losses. This helps us foresee what
we need to work on. I also oversee the development of our safety and security training programs for our personnel who work
in our managed hotels. I am also a member of the Marriott North American Crisis Team.
What are the different Marriott brands?
The Marriott brands are Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, Ritz Carlton Hotels and Resorts, Courtyard
by Marriott Hotels, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites. We have over 2500 hotels worldwide
and over 700 managed hotels in North America.
What originated the need for a guard tour system?
We discovered that documentation of patrols was key evidence to prove that patrols had been conducted within areas that
incidents may have occurred in. Handwritten or typed logs are sufficient, however, it may be hard to convince a trial jury
that the logs had not been falsified.
How did you find Guard1 Plus?
We were approached by a TimeKeeping Systems representative and I liked the simplicity and reliability
Guard1 Plus provides. We also liked the fact that the reports indicate which areas have been checked and also not
checked — it almost acts like a supervisor.
What are the officers looking for as they do the rounds?
We call our security officers Loss Prevention Officers because they do more than security. The rounds are called Safety
Patrols and may be conducted inside and outside of the hotel and consist of reporting any suspicious activity, checking
doors, lighting, trip hazards, fire hazards, etc.
What is your opinion of the Guard1 Plus System?
Well, what I love about the system is that it is simple. Basically, you just touch the button and move on to the next one.
It is great for our Select Service and Extended Stay Brands that generally do not have dedicated loss prevention staff and
the Safety Patrols are conducted by various departments. The other great thing about Guard1 Plus
is that it documents everything accurately and can not be altered. The Exception Reports indicate to the managers that everyone
is doing their job. The PIPE is virtually indestructible, which is a great thing. Some of
the other tour readers we have used were very delicate and would break easily when dropped.
What is the biggest security issue that Marriott has faced?
The two twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing onto our World Trade Center Marriott in New York City has to be
the biggest. We lost two employees who were conducting life-saving duties in that disaster. One was evacuating guests and
the other was helping the fire department with oxygen tanks. To our knowledge, of the 1,200 guests, eight are still unaccounted
for. There are many tales of heroics that happened during this tragedy. But, when you think about it, what saved everyone
was an effective evacuation process. When you get down to it, if you are not inspecting the evacuation routes properly they
may become cluttered with chairs, tables, etc. It is through tours and safety inspections that these areas are kept clear
of debris and obstructions.
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