When I was a general manager, I spent as much time as I could in the lobby talking to guests to discuss their stay and how we could improve it. I also spent a lot of time observing how the team interacted with the guests—hearing the laugh of a bellman as he greeted a return guest by name and shared a joke; observing the team offering guests cold water when they returned to the sanctuary of the hotel lobby on a hot day; smiling as an associate asked about a guest’s visit to the Smithsonian museums. It was simple interactions that delivered the most impact.
When a guest checks into a hotel anywhere in the world, their attention is likely focused on their travel itinerary, post-flight meal or simply getting some rest. Understanding what they want in that moment and delivering it creates a memorable experience. What guests are unlikely to consider is whether the property is operated directly by Marriott or through a franchise-management company—an intentionally seamless distinction.
Owners and franchisees are essential to Marriott’s mission of meeting the needs of every traveler. Our goal is to create value to ensure the brand they have franchised is strong, distribution channels are robust and their costs are the most competitive in the industry. We also strive to provide tools and technology to enable the day-to-day operational tasks needed, while understanding the focus of the general manager and their teams is to spend time creating meaningful moments with guests.
With increasing business complexity and shifting guest expectations, we must continue to evolve our approach with franchisees and franchise management companies to help them deliver on the brand promise and elevate the guest experience. Many of our efforts are guided by a relatively simple set of questions: Does the initiative drive the health of the brand? Does it help to create a better guest experience? Does it create a return on investment for owners? Is it necessary for safety and security? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes,’ we work with our franchisees and franchise-management companies to get feedback to help shape our approach. Through transparency and collaboration, we create short- and long-term value for owners and franchisees while delivering the stays travelers seek.
From Simple Compliance to Greater Collaboration
More than ever, Marriott is looking at new ways that we can continue to support driving profitability for owners. Fifteen to 20 years ago, we primarily acted as the compliance officer in relationships with owners and FMCs, ensuring standards were consistently met to deliver on brand promises. While that continues to be important, we have evolved from a limited, compliance-based role to a more intentional business relationship. Owner and FMC success is our success. While FMCs lead and own operational decisions, we develop new ways to provide information, recommendations and technology to aid in boosting guest experience and profitability at their hotels.
An Answer to Evolving Guest Expectations
Tourism is resilient. People continue to view travel as essential and have shifted to prioritizing experiences over goods. Driven by social media, travelers want to replicate what they see online, whether through food, locale or hotel. Consistency in service and cleanliness remain critical in booking decisions, but guests also seek location nuance—a Marriott in Bangkok should not look or feel the same as the Marriott in Louisville, Ky.
In an environment driven by personalization and unique experiences, we are revisiting our brand standards to align not only with changing guest expectations, but operational efficiency. Companywide, we are actively consolidating brand standards to better serve general managers. Where possible, we are streamlining brand “proof points” and placing greater emphasis on tailoring execution with a focus on regionalization. We want our guests to clearly recognize the brand they’re staying with, while streamlining the steps required of general managers and their teams. Similarly, we have revised our approach to renovations, ensuring the scope of the project is commensurate with the level of return owners can expect.
Tech-enabled Touchpoints
Our guests want their experiences personalized. To meet these expectations, we are employing technology to enable greater interpersonal interaction and a more bespoke experience from check-in to check-out.
Marriott’s Digital + Technology Transformation is currently underway, which will provide more intuitive and efficient systems to front-desk staff, helping them focus more on guests instead of processing a transaction. Similarly, owners and FMCs will see greater potential to generate revenue at each point in the customer journey.
The Power of Transparency
Fundamentally, we do not grow without the dedicated relationship with our owners and FMCs. It is vital for us to have a clear understanding of what is happening in the franchise space and the issues most top-of-mind for FMCs. Franchise advisory committees have been instrumental in identifying how to align goals and meet evolving needs.
To foster further transparency, we have developed tools and resources to serve FMCs. Recently, our Data Science & Reporting team debuted a business-intelligence tool designed to consolidate portfolio data and benchmarks to streamline strategy discussions and to focus on the key performance drivers. Now, we can share metrics, links and resources directly with FMCs to foster strategic conversations around opportunities for revenue per available room, Marriott Bonvoy occupancy, intent to recommend and more. This is a vast improvement from even three years ago. FMCs now have access to more information to enhance their businesses and identify areas of opportunity.
A New Era of Possibility
The future of the industry is bright. A renewed desire to travel and growing focus on nuanced experiences will present opportunities for owners and FMCs to continue to refine their product and the way they do business. The fundamentals of demand exist globally, and we will continue to find pathways to leverage technology to shift from transactional to guest-centric operations. We are incredibly optimistic about the future of hospitality and the relationship with our valued owners and FMCs.
About the author: Tushaar Agrawal is chief franchise officer at Marriott International.