Our History
Over 80 years after that first business venture, we’re still going strong with continued plans to grow and innovate worldwide. Explore our exciting history and the key milestones we’ve celebrated each decade since our founding.
1920s
1927: J. Willard Marriott marries Alice Sheets and moves to Washington DC with his new bride. That spring, J. Willard and Alice open a nine-stool A&W Root Beer stand, which they later call "The Hot Shoppe."
1930s
1939: Marriott lands its first food-service management contract with the U.S. Treasury growing its business and Hot Shoppes.
1940s
During World War II, Hot Shoppes feeds thousands of workers who move to the nation's capital to work in the defense industry.
1950s
1953: Marriott stock becomes public at $10.25/share and sells out in two hours.
1957: Marriott opens its 1st hotel, the 365-room Twin Bridges Motor Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
1960s
1967: Corporate name is changed from Hot Shoppes, Inc., to Marriott Corporation; expanding its business even further in airline food service, food production and lodging. The company opens Fairfield Farm Kitchens, a food production and purchasing facility; opens an In-Flite facility in Venezuela; acquires Camelback Inn, its first resort property; and buys Bob's Big Boy Restaurants.
1969: Marriott's first hotel outside the United States opens in Acapulco, Mexico.
1970s
1972: J.W. Marriott, Jr., is named CEO.
1975: Marriott opens its 1st European hotel in Amsterdam, Holland.
1977: The company celebrates its 50th anniversary; sales top $1 billion.
1980s
1981: 100th hotel opens in Hawaii.
1982: Marriott acquires Gino's and converts it to Roy Rogers.
1983: 1st Courtyard hotel opens.
1984: Marriott enters the vacation time-share and senior-living markets.
1987: Marriott acquires Residence Inn Company and enters the lower-moderate lodging segment with Fairfield Inn.
1989:
- 500th hotel opens in Warsaw, Poland, and Bridges: The Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities is established.
- Marriott formalizes its diversity strategy.
1990s
1990: Pathways to Independence: Marriott's Welfare to Work Program is established.
1993: The company splits into Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation.
1995: Marriott acquires 49% of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC.
1997: Marriott acquires the Renaissance Hotel Group and introduces TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Suites, and Marriott Executive Residences brands.
1998: 1,500th hotel opens; sales reach $8 billion; Sodexho Alliance acquires Marriott's food-service and facilities-management businesses
1999:
- Marriott acquires the ExecuStay corporate housing company and the remaining ownership of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC.
- Marriott launches its Women's Leadership Development Initiative, formalizing the goal of increasing the number of women in leadership positions in the company.
- Marriott hosts its first National Women's Leadership Conference to foster discussion about leadership opportunities for women at Marriott.
In This Decade
2000: The 2,000th Marriott property opens in Tampa, Florida.
2002: Marriott celebrates its 75th anniversary, now operating in 63 countries and territories with annual sales of $20 billion.
2003: Marriott adds more than 31,000 rooms and timeshare units in 2003, bringing the global system to 2,718 hotels and timeshare units (490,564 rooms).
2004: 500,000th room opens in London; Marriott Rewards welcomes its 20,000,000th member; Marriott Vacation Club International celebrates its 20th anniversary.
2006:
- Residence Inn opens its 500th hotel, Courtyard opens its 700th hotel, and the prototype of the new Courtyard in Europe is unveiled with the opening of the Paris Courtyard.
- Marriott.com celebrates 10 years online by launching new one-stop services for guests.
- Marriott designates April as the first annual "Environmental Awareness Month" to promote activities to preserve natural surroundings and reduce resource consumption.
- All properties in the U.S. and Canada become smoke-free.
2007:
- Marriott celebrates two important milestones: the 80th anniversary of our founding and the 50th anniversary of our entry into the hotel business.
- Bill Marriott launches his blog called “Marriott on the Move.”
- Marriott is honored with the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- Marriott launches Sed de Saber, an English-education device which teaches English to Spanish-speaking employees.
2009:
- Marriott celebrates its 10-year anniversary of the Women's Leadership Development Initiative.
- Marriott celebrates its 20-year anniversary of formal programs to celebrate Diversity and Inclusion.
- Marriott expands its portfolio of LEEDS buildings with more than 30 hotels and its global headquarters go green.
2010:
- Marriott headquarters is certified as a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold existing building by the U.S. Green Building Council.
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