Marriott International

WASHINGTON - John Marriott III, executive vice president, Marriott International, Inc. MAR, was recently presented with the Distinguished Hospitality Leadership Award from The Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University. The award is the first of its kind and recognized Mr. Marriott for his leadership in the lodging industry.

In addition to this recent honor, John Marriott was also named one of 2003's "25 Most Influential Executives of the Business Travel Industry" in the January 19 issue of Business Travel News magazine. The publication cited Mr. Marriott's leadership "for introducing two bold pricing moves," including Marriott's Look No Further Best Rate Guarantee, which ensures customers receive Marriott's best available rate when booking through any of the company's distribution channels.

John Marriott receives the Dedman School of Hospitality's Distinguished Hospitality Leadership Award in honor of his contributions to the industry. Pictured left to right: Dr. Melvin T. Stith, dean, College of Business, Florida State University; John Marriott, executive vice president of lodging, Marriott International; Dr. Robert H. Bosselman, director, Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. [NYSE: MAR] is a leading worldwide hospitality company with over 2,600 lodging properties in the United States and 68 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Ramada International brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., has approximately 128,000 employees, and was ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. For more information or reservations, please visit the web site at www.marriott.com.

Florida State University's Dedman School of Hospitality is the ideal place to prepare for a multitude of opportunities. Hospitality/tourism is the number one industry in the State of Florida, and in recent years Florida has hosted more than 42 million tourists, creating more than $45 billion in hospitality/tourism sales in the year 2000 alone! What better environment for a high-quality education in hospitality management? The Dedman School of Hospitality is highly esteemed by national industry executives, and it has a rich history of preparing young men and women for success in hospitality management. For more information visit .