September 22, 2017 Owner & Franchise Communications

Status & Compliance Requirements Following Hurricanes Harvey & Irma

U.S. Only | The past month has been challenging for hotels in many areas of the country, with severe weather and significant damage in certain areas following hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Throughout these natural disasters, operations teams and local GMs have been working tirelessly to make sure that associates and guests are safe. Weeks after the storms have passed, hotels in areas affected by these storms continue to focus on taking care of displaced associates and residents, emergency response and recovery teams, and other guests.

Our Managed by Marriott hotels have storm preparation protocols in place and are well-trained to implement these plans. As we have monitored the paths of these hurricanes, our teams have reached out to all hotels in impacted areas to provide important reminders about operational protocols, and to share general guidelines and resources to help hotels re-open following evacuation, manage occupancy, and address special rate and tax considerations (e.g., ELA-qualified guests). We have been actively tracking hotel status and working to support impacted hotels, and we are pleased to report that most Marriott-branded hotels in impacted areas of the U.S. are still open, and we are taking steps driving business to these hotels.

There has been much coverage on the news and social media regarding these hurricanes. We’ve seen many positive stories regarding the courageous and selfless way in which associates took care of guests in areas impacted by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. While we have also received some criticism on social media and in the news, we are focused on the overwhelming number of situations that highlight associates at both Managed by Marriott and franchised hotels doing what they do best – taking care of their guests.

Update on Compliance Requirements

Following natural disasters and other situations that have a significant impact on hotel operations, Marriott works to evaluate the circumstances and condition of impacted hotels. This allows us to take steps to adjust any of our processes or standards, as needed, in an effort to support the hotels. In order to ensure these hotels can focus on their priorities and support recovery efforts following hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Marriott will be taking the following actions:

Global Quality will be suspending Brand Standard Audits (BSAs) through the end of the year for impacted MR brand hotels. Impacted SPG brand hotels will still receive a practice BSA to help prepare for 2018, but they will be rescheduled to occur in November and December. In addition, accountability for Guest Satisfaction Surveys (GSS) will be suspended for the July to December period for any hotel that is closed for more than two months. For more information contact qa@marriott.com.
Renovations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to adjust for the impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Your account executive will be reaching out to you directly to discuss any impact to renovations of hotels in your portfolio.
Compliance with brand-specific initiatives, including the Fairfield 100% Guarantee, will be reviewed and adjusted as needed for impacted hotels.

We are working to finalize the criteria for hotels as it relates to the above actions, and impacted hotels will be identified by area teams working with Continent Lodging Services (CLS) and Owner & Franchise Services (OFS). You will be notified by October 8 if your property is exempted from any of the above. Please reach out to your area team or account executive if you have any questions at this time.