Hope amidst crisis, Marriott to reopen the closed properties in China

Marriott is the world’s largest hotel operator with 800 properties in the Asia Pacific region and roughly half in Greater China. 

 Marriott had 375 properties, with roughly 122,000 rooms, across Greater China at the end of 2019, representing 9% of its total global rooms.

About 90 properties closed in China due to the global spread of coronavirus but are already seeing positive signs of a return to normal

Marriott began to see the impact of the coronavirus on business in mid-January with occupancy declines gradually, spreading from Wuhan to other markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

In February, RevPAR in Greater China declined almost 90%, versus the same period last year and in the Asia-Pacific region outside Greater China, it declined roughly 25%, year-over-year.

Marriott Hotels To Eliminate Plastic Straws By July 2019

Marriott International Inc plans to remove disposable plastic straws and stirrers from its 6,500 hotels and resorts worldwide by July 2019.

The Maryland-based company, which said it could eliminate 1 billion straws and a quarter of a billion stirrers a year, said it would provide alternatives, for example paper straws, to customers upon request.

“Removing plastic straws is one of the simplest ways our guests can contribute to plastic reduction when staying with us – something they are increasingly concerned about and are already doing in their own homes,” Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, said in a statement.

Marriott launches Tahseen hospitality training in Egypt

MARRIOTT International, the world’s leading hotel company, reinforces its commitment to Egypt with the launch of Tahseen, a unique hospitality training program developed in response to a growing need for talent within the industry. Created in partnership with Helwan University and Professional Development Foundation (PDF), the program is focused on fast tracking the next generation of hospitality leaders from Egypt by providing them with firsthand experience and a springboard to launch successful careers in the industry. The company today unveiled the program at a signing ceremony graced by the Honorable Minister His Excellency Khalid Atef Abdul Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt.