Webber International University Presents John W. Marriott III With an Honorary Doctorate and 'Outstanding Hospitality Leader' Award

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Webber International University today presented John W. Marriott III, executive vice president of North American lodging, Marriott International, Inc. , with a doctor of business administration degree, Honoris Causa, and the Roger W. Babson Outstanding Hospitality Leader Award 2005.

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"We are pleased to present this award and doctorate to Mr. Marriott for his support of education and his lifetime contributions to the hospitality industry," said Oscar Sampedro, chairman and associate professor of hospitality at the School of Business Management, Webber International University.

Mr. Marriott was presented with these honors during the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association's (CFHLA) General Membership luncheon. As the keynote speaker, Mr. Marriott shared his experiences about growing up in the hotel industry and highlighted the varied hospitality career opportunities with the school's students, alumni and faculty.

"I'm honored to receive such a distinguished honor by this outstanding university," said Mr. Marriott. "I look forward to our ongoing relationship with the school and its students."

As executive vice president of lodging, Mr. Marriott is responsible for North American lodging, global sales and marketing, and brand management. Additionally, he is a corporate officer and serves on the board of directors for Marriott International, and sits on the advisory board for The Ritz- Carlton Company, L.L.C. Prior to his current role, Mr. Marriott held several positions with the company, including senior vice president for the Mid- Atlantic region, director of finance and development, general manager and director of food & beverage of the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington, Va., restaurant manager and sales manager.

Mr. Marriott graduated from the University of Utah with a major in accounting and a minor in Japanese. In January 2004, he was named one of "The 25 Most Influential Executives" by Business Travel News.

Webber was founded in 1927 and is a private, independent and accredited business university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It was included as one of the "top 20 best undergraduate business schools" by U.S. News and World Report and recognized as one of the "Best in the Southeast" by The Princeton Review.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. is a leading lodging company with more than 2,600 lodging properties in the United States and 65 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, and Fairfield Inn 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. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by Fortune(R) magazine. In fiscal year 2004, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $10 billion, and the company had approximately 133,000 employees at year-end 2004. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at http://www.marriott.com/.