I knew there was something special about the Marriott brand, dating back to my childhood and the downtown Elkhart Root Beer Barrel. I was recently made aware of the connection by a Facebook friend from my home town who posted a picture of the iconic A&W Root Beer stand and provided a little history:

It all began in 1927 with an A&W root beer stand. Founder J. Willard Marriott and his wife, Alice, got their young business off the ground by quenching people’s thirst during Washington D.C.’s hot, muggy summers. Good food and good service at a fair price became a guiding principle for Hot Shoppes restaurants–and for Marriott International as it grew.”

As time went on, “the Marriotts added hot food items to their menu–a first for A&W franchises–and the name “Hot Shoppes” was born, opening two more locations, including the East Coast’s first drive-in restaurant. By 1937, in flight catering debuted when Hot Shoppes begins delivery of boxed lunches to passengers at Hoover Airport, south of Washington, D.C.”  The stock became public in 1953 at $10.25/share and sold out in two hours of trading.”

“Marriott made a historic shift into the hotel business in 1957. The world’s first motor hotel opened in Arlington, Virginia, under the management of J. Willard Marriott’s son, Bill. Over the next 25 years, Marriott became a diverse global enterprise, and Bill Marriott became a visionary CEO whose leadership transformed the hospitality industry. The first international property then opened in Acapulco, Mexico in 1969 while a partnership  with Sun Line in 1972, allowed the first lodging company to enter the cruise business. Also that year, J.W. Marriott, Jr. was named Chief Executive Officer of Marriott, adding the Courtyard brand for business travelers by 1983 and by building the first JW Marriott in Washington DC.

“One company, many brands–that’s the innovative model that Marriott began building in the late 1980s. From pioneering the extended-stay business to launching distinctive brands geared toward the business traveler to increasing its presence overseas, Marriott International broke new ground in its quest to become the #1 hospitality company in the world.”

“In 1987, with the opening of the first Fairfield Inn and Marriott Suites hotels, Marriott become the first lodging company to offer a portfolio of brands, also acquiring Residence Inn to pioneer the extended-stay lodging business. 1988 then saw Marriott open its 500th hotel in Warsaw, Poland, the first western-managed hotel in Eastern Europe. By 1995, a famous, historic luxury brand  was added into its portfolio when it acquired a 49% interest in The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Two years later Renaissance and TownePlace Suites were part of the group, followed by SpringHill Suites by Marriott in 1998  and ExecuStay corporate housing in 1999,”

Alice Sheets Marriott – “Mother Marriott” – passed away in 2000, but growth from her A&W roots continued as the first Bulgari Hotels & Resorts opened in Milan, Italy in 2008 and the EDITION brand was launched in 2008. “Marriott was on a mission to shape the future of travel through technology and innovation. From mobile check-in and lobby Greatrooms to transforming the meeting experience with the Coat Direct app. Gaylord, MOXY HOTELS, AC, Protea in Africa, Delta Hotels in Canada, and  Starwood positioned Marriott as the world’s largest hotel company in 2016 with over 5700 properties, 1.1 million rooms, and 30 brands in over 110 countries.  It was the year that my wife and I joined the Marriott Vacation Club, using our Bonvoy card to travel the world under the care of Mother Marriott, to whom we raise a frosty mug!