WASHINGTON—July 15, 2003—Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) announced today that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has ranked Marriott first among 12 hospitality companies included in its annual lodging industry report. Demonstrating industry leadership in several diversity-related areas, including board membership, supplier diversity, franchising, and the hiring, retention and promotion of minorities, Marriott is the only hotel company to top the list for five years.

“Our relationship with organizations such as the NAACP plays a very important role in our continued growth and commitment to diversity,” said J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO, Marriott International, Inc. “We are pleased to be ranked as the industry leader again.”
Marriott’s Supplier Diversity Initiative was the first program in the industry to institute a supplier-diversity program and continues to lead the industry. In 2002, Marriott purchased $177 million in goods and services from businesses owned by minorities and women, nearly a three-fold increase since the company’s supplier diversity program was launched five years ago. As of March 2003, the Marriott International Franchise Network included 220 minority-owned franchised properties and has more than doubled the number of women- and minority-owned franchises in the past five years.

As a company, 40 percent of all managers begin as hourly associates. Today minorities occupy more than 50 percent of all supervisory positions and 11 percent of all general manager positions. Marriott continues to partner with a variety of minority business organizations, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council and local minority chambers of commerce nationwide, to identify new talent. This year, Marriott International was once again named to two of Fortune’s top lists: “Best Companies To Work For” and “Best Companies for Minorities” and continues to receive a host of honors, including recognition from “Working Mother,” “Latina Style,” “Diversity Inc,” “Black Meetings & Tourism,” Catalyst and the National Minority Business Council.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading worldwide hospitality company with nearly 2,600 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Ramada International brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Marriott Grand Residence Club brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., has approximately 129,000 employees, and was ranked as the lodging industry`s most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. For more information or reservations, please visit the web site at www.marriott.com.
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