BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 12, 2010 -- Marriott International (NYSE: MAR), now a global lodging leader with 18 distinct brands, opened its first hotel in 1957.  It was the 365-room Twin Bridges Marriott Hotel located just outside of Washington, D.C.  That hotel gave birth to what has become the company's iconic Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand, the company's most widely distributed brand with hotels in 60 countries.

Today, 52 years later, Marriott Hotels & Resorts celebrates the opening of its 500th milestone hotel—the 416-room Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre in the historic city of Pune, India,  an established educational and cultural center that is emerging as an IT and automotive capital, just three hours by superhighway south of Mumbai.  In addition to being the headquarters hotel for the new Pune Convention Center, this hotel has been built from the ground up to be green and will apply for  LEED® Gold certification for its construction practices and its policies for recycling materials and reducing energy use in all areas of operations.

As part of its 500th milestone, Marriott Hotels celebrates continued innovation that built the brand – on display in Pune and around the world – with cutting edge technology, high-performance fitness centers, refreshed room design, the day-to-night M.I. Greatroom approach to the lobby -- as well as the timeless qualities of service and consistent performance that make it a favorite of frequent travelers worldwide.

"Trends may come and go in lodging, but the focus of Marriott Hotels on real comfort, warm service and genuine people will never go out of style, whether you are in New York, London or Pune, India," said J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International. "Today, the greatest innovations for Marriott Hotels revolve around engineering a hotel experience that helps guests stay in balance, that makes work fun and down time energizing and fulfilling.

"This brand is arguably the best in the business at this, accomplishing it with tangible and stylish facilities to be sure, but mostly with the less tangible, human touch, achieved through staff training and an enduring culture of service that enables its guests to realize the promise and opportunities presented by travel.  We call it 'Inspired Performance.'"

The Marriott Hotels Experience

The Future of the Marriott Hotels brand is on view today at hotels around the world, including at the newest, the Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Center.  Some examples of what makes the Pune Marriott an authentic, contemporary Marriott Hotel:

• Relaxing Work:  The heart of every Marriott Hotel is the M.I. Greatroom, a bold new approach to the way our lobbies look and function, combining innovative design, state-of-the-art technology and creative food and beverage options.  In Pune, the expansive lobby or "great room" flows with flexible seating areas to a variety of food and beverage outlets on the perimeter, including a day-to-night bar, serving continental breakfast in the morning, hand crafted beverages at night and a moderately priced menu of simple, fresh, chef-crafted food; Spice Kitchen, an all-day dining restaurant; and Pune Baking Company, a deli for gourmet coffee, pastries and take-away snacks.
• Energizing recharge:  Marriott Hotels help guests achieve balance while traveling through expanded fitness facilities and guest rooms designed with thoughtful functionality.  The Pune Marriott offers a 10,000-square-foot Quan Spa, with 13 treatment rooms and more than 100 authentic, indigenous treatments; a full-circuit fitness center with state-of-the-art strength and cardiovascular equipment; an outdoor, heated swimming pool.  Guest rooms and suites are built around performance, with Marriott's signature bedding, high-definition LCD televisions, plug-in panel, wired and wireless Internet, swivel desks, ergonomic chairs, iHome docking station, mini-refrigerators, laptop safes and headboard reading lights.
• Modern Classics in F&B:  At Marriott Hotels & Resorts, chefs prepare modern classics with quality ingredients, foundational cooking and updated presentation.  Including the restaurants off the lobby, the Pune Marriott has nine different outlets, such as Indi-Chill, a rooftop Indian restaurant and night club with Indian lounge music; Shakahari, an international vegetarian restaurant; Alto Vino, an Italian restaurant and wine bar; and Bar 101, a whiskey and cigar bar serving 101 different whiskeys.
• Taking Care of Business:  At Marriott Hotels, the concierge or executive lounge is a home base for frequent travelers.  In Pune, a spacious Executive Lounge on the 20th floor overlooks the city.  A 24-hour business center is always available.
• Meetings & Events:  Marriott Hotels provide the most comprehensive, end-to-end solution for a wide array of events, seamlessly choreographed by a team made up of sales, event and food and beverage associates and coordinated by a person who wears the Marriott Red Coat, providing the event planner with a visible and accessible method to communicate customer needs and program changes.  The Pune Marriott has almost 40,000-square-feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom with 22-foot ceiling, three other ballrooms for receptions of up to 600 people each and eight meeting rooms.  
• Team Approach: Marriott Hotels & Resorts associates are trained not only to anticipate guests' needs and deliver its services with warmth and genuine caring, but to function as a teamed support system.  

History of Innovation

The first Marriott Hotels & Resorts property, the 365-room Twin Bridges Marriott Motor Hotel opened in 1957, was a unique hybrid -- a drive-in motel and urban resort -- with outside check-in, guest rooms wrapping around an outdoor swimming pool that became an ice skating rink in winter and men on bicycles that would show guests to their room. Later innovations included the first workspace (desk, chair, light, etc.) in a hotel room; first TV remote control; first hotel brand to open licensed Starbucks stores in hotels; first to offer express check-out; and more recently, a holistic approach to designing public spaces, with special emphasis on the lobby, based on intense research around the needs of the guests.  The first international Marriott Hotel was the Acapulco Marriott Paraiso, opened in 1969 (no longer in the portfolio); the first in Europe was the Amsterdam Marriott in 1975; and the first in India, the Goa Marriott Resort in 1999.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's original and most widely distributed brand, with 500 hotels and resorts in 60 countries.  Marriott continues to inspire a balanced life on the road for discerning and high-achieving business and leisure travelers, offering warm, professional service; sophisticated yet functional guest room design; lobby spaces that facilitate working, dining and socializing; restaurants and bars serving international cuisine prepared simply and from the freshest ingredients; meeting and event spaces and services that are gold standard; and expansive, 24-hour fitness facilities. All Marriott hotels participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For more information visit www.meetthedriven.com, or follow us on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/marriotthotels.

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