Thousands of Marriott Employees Volunteer Worldwide During Company’s Annual Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day

Follow Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott and President and COO Arne Sorenson’s updates on Twitter @marriottintl and @marriottgreen

Bethesda, MD.- Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) celebrates Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day around the world today. The company’s annual day of service encourages more than 300,000 employees at 3,200 properties to participate in service projects in their community. Follow updates from Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott on Twitter @marriottintl and President and COO Arne Sorenson @marriottgreen.

Around the world, our employees are partnering with local organizations, schools and community groups. Examples include:

~ Washington, D.C., USA – Nearly 2,000 employees from Marriott’s headquarters and area hotels will participate in 25 service projects in the D.C. region. Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott will join area employees at Food and Friends to prepare and package meals for D.C. residents living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, while Marriott’s newly-appointed President and COO Arne Sorenson joins area employees for a Montgomery County Habitat for Humanity build to renovate homes for two local families.

~ Chennai, India – Employees of the Chennai Courtyard are inviting students from the rehabilitation center, Bindu Art School, to share their favorite paintings and passion for art. Many of the school’s students are 60 years and older and suffer from leprosy, which in many instances results in a physical disability. The school provides a refuge from social stigma and opportunity for skill building and income generation.

~ Phuket, Thailand – Employees from 11 area hotels organized multiple activities – a singing contest, car wash, food/bake sale, garage sale and more – to raise 700,000 baht ($20,000 USD) to help support expenses for a hospice (formerly a Buddhist temple) for people suffering from AIDS. The hospice provides 400 beds and relies on donations.

~ Vienna, Austria – Employees of hotels in Austria, Germany and Switzerland have raised 73,000 Euros ($100,000 USD) to create Café Floritz – an informal, relaxed and safe area for the orphaned children residing at the SOS Children’s Village in Vienna. The Vienna Marriott has partnered with SOS Children’s Villages since 2004 and the company’s partnership has recently expanded to include France, Egypt, and the Czech Republic.

~ New Orleans, La., USA – More than 150 employees from 13 New Orleans hotels will continue the commitment to donate 10,000 volunteer hours for New Orleans Habitat for Humanity Build, an effort that began in 2007. Today’s project is located in the upper ninth ward of neighborhood in Musicians’ Village – a community of homes owned by local musicians and the brainchild of New Orleans’ natives Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis. Seven additional builds are planned throughout the year.

~ Amazonas, Brazil -- President and Managing Director for International Lodging, Ed Fuller, will host a group of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) members on a tour of the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve in the Brazilian rainforest. Participants will visit Boa Frente, the largest community in Juma, where they will meet residents and see the school, medical facility, homes and other community facilities built as a result of contributions by Marriott, its guests and customers.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Marriott’s “Spirit To Serve Our Communities” program, based on a culture of more than 80 years of giving back to its communities and a focus on signature initiatives expressed by the SERVE acronym: Shelter and Food, Environment, Readiness for Hotel Careers, Vitality of Children and Embracing Global Diversity and Inclusion. For more information on Marriott’s commitment, visit www.marriott.com/socialresponsibilty.

View video and photos of Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day projects worldwide at www.youtube.com/marriottserve and 2009 STSOC Day Photos. Read Marriott on the Move for Mr. Marriott’s blog from Food & Friends. Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) for a company overview.