Case Study: MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

The Brand & Campaign Context

Marriott International was established in 1993, following the division of Marriott Corporation into two companies (the other company created was first called Host Marriott Corporation, now Host Hotels & Resorts). Ritz-Carlton is one of its major subsidiaries (first acquired 49% in 1995, and now all of it). In January 2014, Marriott acquired 108 hotels in Africa from Protea Hospitality for $186 million. In June 2014, Marriott announced its intention to acquire 200 new luxury hotels over the next 3 years. The cost of the operation is estimated at $15 billion. On November 16, 2015, Marriott made a proposal to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for $12.2 billion, which would make it the world's largest hotel group, with 5,500 hotels and nearly 1.1 million of rooms. In March 2016, a consortium of Chinese investors led by Anbang announced a 12.8 billion offer on Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. In the same month, Marriott increased its offer to $13.6 billion, then Anbang in turn increased its offer to $14 billion, before dropping its offer just after. In April 2018, Marriott announced the acquisition of ILG, a company specializing in timeshare rentals, for $4.7 billion. Marriott International contacted GMA to help build a strong engagement in China.