Timeshare Information

Marriott International has announced that it will spend 75 percent of its 2013 furniture, fixtures and equipment budget with suppliers who are part of the MindClick Hospitality Sustainability Performance Index (HSP).

The HSP Index measures suppliers' corporate social responsibility, environmental operations, and product sustainability efforts. Marriott is incorporating MindClick's supplier scorecard as an integral solution in greening its global supply chain, following a year as a member of the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium.

Led by MindClick, a leading sustainability consulting firm with over 20 years of performance measurement expertise, Consortium members worked together to establish a supplier sustainability rating system for the hotel industry.

"Utilizing the MindClick Index to make sustainable purchasing decisions will help us choose suppliers who will improve our hotels' sustainability, reduce costs and enhance the guest experience," said Dave Lippert, Marriott vice president procurement.

"Ultimately, improving our environmental impact extends beyond our hotels and into our global supply chain," Lippert said.

Recent studies conducted by MindClick SGM reveal corporate travel executives, on-line travel agents, meeting planners and consumers alike are looking at hotel's environmental commitment when making travel and booking decisions.

In a study of Fortune 1,000 corporate travel executives, 75 percent of those spending $50 million in annual travel have "green business" travel programs. As a result, RFPs now include questions specific to sustainability initiatives, including efforts in hotel construction, operations and purchasing.

A study of 5,000 U.S. Expedia consumers conducted in January 2012 shows two out of three consumers believe hotels need to be more mindful of their impact on our communities and the planet. Of these 5,000 participants, 90 percent were able to identify at least one item they believe allows hoteliers to provide rooms which are healthier and better for the planet.

"The Index provides brands, designers, purchasers and owners with the knowledge and tools to design and furnish hotels more sustainably," said JoAnna Abrams, CEO of MindClick SGM.

"MindClick's HSP Index benefits suppliers by validating their investments in sustainability, eliminating greenwashing and providing a roadmap to engage in efforts that matter most to the industry," Abrams said.

MindClick SGM, a leading sustainability research and consulting firm, provides clients with performance measurement tools to develop, implement, improve and promote product and company sustainability. 

Serving clients ranging from global Fortune 1000 companies in consumer products, automotive and hospitality from family owned building products suppliers to government municipalities, MindClick drives growth through sustainability.

Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in San Francisco and Seattle, MindClick combines a decade of experience in sustainability with 20+ years of research, product development and marketing expertise. The result is sustainability performance rating services that provide executive decision makers with

Source: MindClick SGM

Marriott Vacations Worldwide's Owner Services was recently recognized with the inaugural American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Circle of Excellence "ACE" Award for Excellence in Customer Service at the annual ARDA Awards Gala at the 2012 Convention & Exposition held in Las Vegas. 

"Receiving the first-ever Excellence in Customer Service 'ACE' Award is a testament to our dedicated associates' commitment to and focus on our Owners," said Ron Essig, vice president of Owner Services for Marriott Vacations Worldwide. "It is this dedication that has enabled us to reach high levels of success operationally and to consistently increase our customer satisfaction scores."

Owner Services is home to more than 650 associates worldwide and focuses on providing excellent customer service to more than 420,000 Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott Owners and Members in 14 languages around the globe. Last year, the team handled over a million in-bound calls and had a customer satisfaction rating of over 94 percent.

Owner Services prides itself in offering flexible work schedules that allow associates to balance their work/home life; internal advancement and career growth opportunities; and direct manager to associate relationships. Offices are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, with international offices in Mexico City, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Singapore and Cork, Ireland.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation is the leading global pure-play vacation ownership company. Through a spin-off in late 2011, Marriott Vacations Worldwide was established as an independent, public company focusing primarily on vacation ownership experiences. Since entering the industry in 1984 as part of Marriott International, Inc., the company earned its position as a leader and innovator in vacation ownership products.

The company preserves high standards of excellence in serving its customers, investors and associates while maintaining a long-term relationship with Marriott International. Marriott Vacations Worldwide offers a diverse portfolio of quality products, programs and management expertise with more than 60 resorts and more than 420,000 Owners and Members.

For the seventh year in a row Marriott International has been recognized by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the “40 Best Companies for Diversity.” The July feature article highlighted Marriott for its employee base, board of directors and supplier diversity efforts.

“We are honored to be recognized for our diversity and inclusion initiatives. We strive to create an inclusive environment where the talents and unique experiences of our employees worldwide can flourish." said Jimmie Paschall, global diversity officer and senior vice president, external affairs.

“When our employees feel respected and valued, we know that they’ll make our guests, suppliers, owners and franchisees feel the same way too. We want to build on the success of our longstanding commitment to diversity in the U.S. while striving to reach our vision of embedding diversity and inclusion so deeply into our organization that it is integral to how we do business in the global community.”

In 2003, Marriott’s Board of Directors established the Committee for Excellence, chaired today by board member Debra L. Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks, to monitor the progress of the company’s diversity initiatives.

To date, Marriott has spent $2.6 billion with diverse-owned businesses, more than doubling its 2005 goal, and has more than 586 diverse-owned hotels that are open for business.

The company continues to be recognized for its diversity and inclusion achievements. This year, Marriott was ranked first in supplier diversity on DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list and named Company of the Year by LatinaStyle.

Known throughout the industry for his hands-on management style, J.W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc., has built a highly regarded culture that recognizes the value of Marriott employees. Today, approximately 300,000 employees are serving guests in Marriott managed and franchised properties throughout the world.

From Boston to Palm Beach, from Hilton Head to Park City, from Aruba to Thailand you can literally follow Marriott's rising star around the globe. Timeshare rentals, timeshare exchanges and timeshare resales are all here to give you the distinctive excellence of a Marriott vacation experience.

Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN), one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2011. Out of a record number of nominations for the award, Wyndham Worldwide earned its place on the list for the second consecutive year, recognizing principled business practices, corporate social responsibility, and raising the bar for ethical standards within the industry.

“Wyndham Worldwide continues to achieve success not only for what we do, but how we do it, and this recognition speaks to the strong values that guide our company every day,” says Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and CEO, Wyndham Worldwide.

This is the fifth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the WME rankings, which appear in Ethisphere Magazine’s Q1 issue.

“We are honored to receive this continued distinction, earned through the dedicated efforts of associates at every level of our company, who embody our culture of responsible and ethical practices in all that we do,” says Scott McLester, executive vice president and general counsel, Wyndham Worldwide.

Ethisphere reviewed thousands of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilizing its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming 110 companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies list. The 2011 list features companies in 38 industries including 43 companies headquartered outside the United States.

A sampling of other winners includes Marriott International, American Express, eBay, Ford Motor Company, Adidas, Starbucks, PepsiCo, and Xerox Corporation.

“As companies strive to maintain a competitive advantage, good ethics translate into better business, and better business means better bottom lines. Wyndham Worldwide recognizes the important role that principled practices play in brand reputation, which ultimately is the most valuable asset for a corporation,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute.

“Each year, the competition gets more intense for the World’s Most Ethical Companies and this year was no exception with a record number of organizations vying for this distinguished honor. Ethisphere congratulates Wyndham Worldwide on being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2011.”

For the fourth time, Marriott International, Inc., has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Ethisphere said Marriott was selected for engaging in business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the company’s success, benefit the community, and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry.

Ethical business practices are deeply embedded in the Marriott tradition and Spirit to Serve culture. These ethical standards start with Marriott’s top leadership, who reinforce the company's tradition of integrity, honesty, trust, and fairness. The company shares its philosophy with associates and all stakeholders through a variety of information channels, including Marriott's Business Conduct Guide.

"This significant recognition is a testament to Marriott’s commitment to doing business with integrity," said Ed Ryan, executive vice president and general counsel for Marriott International. “Upholding high ethical standards is important to our competitive advantage and to maintaining strong relationships with our shareholders, owners and guests and attracting and retaining the best associates in the business.”

“As companies strive to maintain a competitive advantage, good ethics translate into better business, and better business means better bottom lines. Marriott recognizes the important role that principled practices play in brand reputation, which ultimately is the most valuable asset for a corporation,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute.

“Each year, the competition gets more intense for the World’s Most Ethical Companies and this year was no exception with a record number of organizations vying for this distinguished honor. Ethisphere congratulates Marriott on being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2011.”

A methodology committee of leading attorneys, professors, government officials and organization leaders, assisted Ethisphere in creating the scoring methodology for the World’s Most Ethical Companies awards.

Marriott International, Inc., is a leading lodging company with more than 3,500 lodging properties in 70 countries and territories, and develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by Fortune Magazine.

LatinaStyle officially recognized Marriott International as the 2010 "Company of the Year" at its annual awards and diversity leadership conference held Friday, February 4th, 2011.

Bill Marriott was the keynote speaker during the luncheon. "Our company’s early success has an interesting connection to Latinas," he shared. "My mother, Alice S. Marriott, majored in Spanish while in college. Maybe it was my mother’s love of the Spanish language and heritage that influenced us. But my family has always loved Latin America.

"Just over a year ago, I traveled to Colombia for the first time to attend the grand opening of our first hotel in Bogota. While I was there, I had the opportunity to meet President Uribe, who has done wonders for the reputation and business environment in Colombia, making it a prime travel destination in South America. He attended our grand opening and welcomed us officially to his country. It was a wonderful trip to a great country."

In July, 2011, Marriott was also recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives for the sixth consecutive year by Black Enterprise Magazine, which named Marriott International as one of the “40 Best Companies for Diversity.”

"Our business is all about people,” Jimmie Paschall, global diversity officer and senior vice president, external affairs for Marriott International, Inc., said at that time. “As our company grows globally, it is imperative that we expand our diversity and inclusion strategy to encompass cultural competencies, building upon our success in the United States.”

Further recognition in 2010 for the company's diversity and inclusion achievements included being ranked seventh on DiversityInc's “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, and among the “Top 50 Companies for Executive Women” by the National Association for Female Executives.

In 2003, Marriott’s Board of Directors established the Committee for Excellence, chaired today by board member Debra L. Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks, to monitor the progress of the company’s diversity initiatives.

Marriott International, Inc., is a leading lodging company with more than 3,500 lodging properties in 70 countries and territories, and develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by Fortune Magazine.

(Photo credit - news.marriott.com)

Pictured: Accepting the award from Robert Bard, LatinaStyle’s president and CEO are Bill Marriott, chairman and CEO, and Brenda Durham, vice president and assistant general counsel for Marriott.

Marriott International has been recognized for the 14th consecutive year by Fortune Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Marriott is a Fortune “All Star,” being one of only 13 companies on the list every year since it launched in 1998. Marriott is the second highest ranked company with 100,000 or more associates and was ranked 71st overall.

“Marriott opens doors to a world of opportunities, wherever your journey takes you,” said David Rodriguez, executive vice president of Global Human Resources. “Our company’s enduring “spirit to serve” culture provides associates a family environment of teamwork, trust, and cooperation where we value the contributions of our diverse global workforce.”

Marriott prides itself on fostering growth and development for associates as they find their own career journey, and offers a wide range of unique programs and benefits.

Marriott has long been recognized as a great place to work by several prominent publications including Working Mother, DiversityInc and LATINA Style magazines.

To pick the "100 Best Companies to Work For," Fortune partnered with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Three hundred eleven companies participated in this year's survey. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the Institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of associates from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie.

The other third of the scoring is based on the company's responses to the Institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, internal communications, training, recognition programs and diversity efforts. Any company that is at least seven years old with more than 1,000 U.S. associates is eligible.

Marriott International, Inc. announced that Carl Wilson (photo top right), executive vice president and chief information officer at the company since 1997, will retire March 31. Bruce Hoffmeister, a 22-year Marriott veteran, will succeed him as Global Chief Information Officer on April 1.

Mr. Wilson was instrumental in managing the critical nexus between technology and business strategy as the company’s lodging portfolio grew to encompass 3,500 properties in 70 countries worldwide.

“Carl leaves an impressive legacy,” said William Shaw, Marriott International Vice Chairman. “He built Marriott’s information technology infrastructure as the company introduced Marriott.com and the industry’s first high-speed internet service to guest rooms.

"His leadership team consistently wins plaudits as one of the best IT functions. We will miss his wise counsel but are delighted that Bruce Hoffmeister will become our Global Chief Information Officer, accountable for all business technology resources.”

With more than two decades at Marriott, Bruce Hoffmeister (photo at left) brings a wide scope and diverse set of experiences to his new role. Currently Senior Vice President, IR Shared and Application Services, he has led the drive for sustainable efficiencies in the computing resources for Marriott’s worldwide operations. He also directs the company’s efforts to modernize key systems involved in sales and marketing, event and revenue management.

Hoffmeister began his Marriott career as a Senior Financial Analyst in the Development Finance department, and has held a wide range of finance and accounting positions across the company, as well as the role of Senior Vice President, Global Revenue Management, where he was responsible for developing and leading the company’s worldwide pricing, inventory management and selling strategies.

With the recent economic downturn, the top players in the timeshare industry are making big changes to their business models. Here’s how Wyndham Worldwide, Marriott International and Starwood are tightening their belts.

Wyndham Worldwide
Wyndham is cutting a reported 4,000 jobs in its timeshare division due to a lack of financing. The company, whose brands also include Super 8 and Ramada, are estimating a drop in overall sales this fiscal year. They reported $2 billion in sales for 2008, and are expecting $1.2 billion in 2009. Financing options will be limited for those looking to buy Wyndham timeshares as well. Previously, if you were willing to buy a timeshare, simply signing the papers was enough to complete the transaction. But now a more stringent credit approval has been put into place and their 90% financing options are no longer available.

Marriott International
Many timeshare companies, such as Marriott, are now demanding that buyers have higher down payments and good credit scores to qualify for a loan. Only about half of all buyers are eligible to receive financing from Marriott, down from 80% previously. Also, the down payment required for a timeshare purchase amount has increased from 15 to 20% up from the 10 to 15% that was once the standard.

Starwood Vacation Ownership
Starwood reports the least amount of cut backs and changes. But, in an effort to “watch every dollar” they have reduced some of their owner incentives, like the free nights program.

All businesses, timeshare specific and otherwise, are riding out this economic storm the best way they can. It’s actually good that companies are being forced to take a hard look at their costs to do business. By getting out of their comfort zone and drilling down all aspects of their P & L, they will emerge running better and stronger than before, and when the economy does turn around, they will be in a better position to grow their business accordingly and add more value to their customers.