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Marriott International
is launching one of the most extensive weddings resource and services in the lodging industry. The company has trained 1,200 of its managers as
"Marriott certified wedding event planners" to design and assist with a broad
range of weddings, including cultural, religious, ethnic and military weddings, at
its Marriott and Renaissance hotels. Marriott's wedding services will be enhanced
later this month with a new toll-free weddings help desk, followed by the
introduction of a dedicated weddings web site in May.
"Globally, the number of wedding events at Marriott and Renaissance properties
grew approximately 10 percent over the past two years, and more than half of our
hotels report a significant increase in ethnic, multicultural and military weddings,"
said Robin Uler, senior vice president, food, beverage and retail, Marriott
International. "Annually, weddings and wedding-related business generate
property revenues of approximately $300 million for the company's full-service
hotels."
Approximately 71 percent of all wedding receptions take place in a hotel, country
club or catering facility. More couples are also traveling to get married, choosing
destination and resort venues that provide unique and sometimes exotic backdrops for weddings, as well
as transforming the event into a vacation for family and friends. Marriott offers the most resorts and spas in the lodging
industry.
"We understand the important role our hotels play in planning and hosting
weddings and have developed a full range of services to meet the needs of these
special customers," said John Marriott, executive vice president, lodging, Marriott
International. "The weddings business continues to grow and change, and our
wedding event managers are incredibly well trained and equipped to create truly
memorable experiences. Weddings are an opportunity to build trust and loyalty
with our guests that last a lifetime." |
