What Marriott’s CEO Had to Say About Airbnb, Amazon and Google
Photo Credit: Sorenson spoke last year at the Skift Global Forum in New York City. On Monday he spoke to Skift about a range of different industry topics affecting travel and hospitality. Skift
Skift Take
Unlike some of its hotel peers, Marriott isn't giving up on its hopes of being the world's favorite travel company.
Marriott International isn't content to "stand still."
That was the overarching theme of Marriott President and CEO Arne Sorenson's opening presentation on Monday at the company's biannual investor day in New York.
Sorenson, along with a number of Marriott executives were in town to give investors an update on the company's three-year growth plan, which includes a goal of adding another 1,700 hotels to Marriott's already robust portfolio of more than 6,900.
Skift caught up with Sorenson in between presentations to discuss a variety of topics, from his views on recent travel acquisitions such as Airbnb's intent to buy HotelTonight to what he thinks of consumer response to Marriott's new loyalty program.
Here's what Sorenson had to say:
About That War for the Customer
Nearly one year ago at the same exact location — the New York Marriott Marquis — Sorenson spoke on a hotel CEO panel and proclaimed, "I think we are in an absolute war for who owns the customer. It's a lon
