WASHINGTON, D.C. - Marriott International, Inc. MAR recently presented awards to its owners and franchisees for their leadership in hospitality. The awards were presented at the company's annual hotel owner and franchise conference at Marriott's Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, Calif.

"The majority of Marriott-branded hotels are owned or franchised by other companies. These awards give us the opportunity to identify our owners and franchisees as leaders in the industry," said Steve Joyce, Executive Vice President, Marriott Owner and Franchise Services.

Award Winners at Marriott's Owner and Franchise Conference:

2001 Partnership Circle Winner - The highest award Marriott has for owners and franchisees was presented to Gene Carter, President of Western International, for his 10-year commitment to Marriott, his work with six different Marriott brands, and his willingness to experiment with new products. He is the first winner of this award to have both a franchise and management relationship with Marriott.

Developer of the Year - This award was presented to Gary Holmes, president of CSM Corporation, for innovative and high quality development projects, including a project in Minneapolis where a century-old train depot was transformed into two hotels (a Courtyard and a Residence Inn by Marriott), in addition to a 15,000-square-foot indoor water park and ice rink.

Community Service Awards - Presented to Mark Laport, president and CEO of Concord Hospitality Enterprises Corporation, and John McKibbon, chairman and CEO of McKibbon Hotel Management, for their companies' contributions to the community.

Special Achievement Award - Presented to Gary Tharaldson, president and CEO, Tharaldson Enterprises Inc., for developing all five limited-service brands and having more than 130 Marriott-branded hotels under his leadership. He has a long standing relationship with Marriott and was among the company's first franchisees.

Full House Awards - Presented to three owners/franchisees that own or franchise properties across all of Marriott's limited-service brands, including McKibbon Hotel Management, SREE Incorporated and CNL Hospitality Corporation.

Sixteen other companies received awards for service excellence, best hotel opening, construction excellence or best conversion.

Service Excellence

  • Courtyard: Larry Blumberg & Associates
  • Fairfield Inn: Dunn Hospitality
  • Residence Inn: RHW Companies
  • SpringHill Suites: Inter-Mountain Management Incorporated
  • TownePlace Suites: Day Hospitality Incorporated

Best Opening

  • Courtyard: Chattanooga/Downtown, Tenn.McKibbon Hotel Management
  • Fairfield Inn: Orlando/International Cove, Fla.Pinnacle Hotel Management
  • Residence Inn: Boulder/Louisville, Colo.White Lodging Services Corporation
  • SpringHill Suites: Washington, Penn.Concord Hospitality Enterprises Corporation
  • TownePlace Suites: Manchester, N.H.Jiten Hotel Management Incorporated

Construction Excellence

  • Courtyard: Burlington/Williston, Vt.New Castle Hotel Corporation
  • Fairfield Inn: Boca Raton, Fla.Vista Host Incorporated
  • Residence Inn: Charlotte/Uptown, N.C.Summit Hospitality Group Ltd.
  • SpringHill Suites: Fairbanks, AlaskaNANA Development Corporation
  • TownePlace Suites: Denver/Broomfield, Colo.Sage Hospitality Resources

Best Conversion

  • Fairfield Inn: Paramount Hotel Group
  • Residence Inn: Milwaukee/Downtown, Wis.
  • Sage Hospitality Resources

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. MAR is a leading worldwide hospitality company with nearly 2,400 operating units in the United States and 63 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, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its ExecuStay by Marriott division; and operates conference centers. Other Marriott businesses include senior living communities and services, and wholesale food distribution. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 152,000 employees. In fiscal year 2000, Marriott International reported systemwide sales of $19.8 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.

Scott Carman
301-380-6491
Marriott