Marriott Creates Global Cleanliness Council

Marriott International says it is rolling out a multi-pronged platform to elevate its cleanliness standards and hospitality norms and behaviors to meet the new health and safety challenges presented by the current pandemic environment. Specifically, the hotel operator has created the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council, which it says will tackle the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic at the hotel level and further advance the company's efforts in this area. 
 
The Marriott Global Cleanliness Council is focused on developing the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms and behaviors that are designed to minimize risk and enhance safety for consumers and Marriott associates alike. 
 
The council is chaired by Ray Bennett, chief global officer, global operations, Marriott International, and will benefit from knowledge and input from both in-house and outside experts including senior leaders from across Marriott disciplines like housekeeping, engineering, food safety, occupational health and associate wellbeing. The council also includes advisory members Dr. Ruth L. Petran, senior corporate scientist, food safety and public health for Ecolab; Dr. Michael A. Sauri, infectious disease specialist at Adventist Healthcare; Dr. Richard Ghiselli, head of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue University; and Dr. Randy Worobo, professor of food Mmcrobiology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University.
 
“We are living in a new age, with COVID-19 front and center for our guests and our associates,” said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International. “We are grateful for the trust our guests have shown us through the years. We want our guests to understand what we are doing today and planning for in the near future in the areas of cleanliness, hygiene and social distancing so that when they walk through the doors of one of our hotels, they know our commitment to their health and safety is our priority. It's equally important to us that our associates know the changes we are making to help safeguard their health as they serve our guests.”