MASHINIi

Marriott International Inc.

MAR.US | Short term accommodation activities

Marriott International Inc. is a global hospitality company that operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company's extensive portfolio includes a wide range of brands, from luxury to select-service, catering to various traveler segments. Marriott generates revenue...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

Marriott International's ethical profile is mixed. The company faced a major data breach between 2014-2020, affecting 344 million customers, leading to a £18.4 million fine from the UK's ICO. Critics point to controversies including the alleged demolition of the Huacapunku Temple in Cusco and concerns about the Maraey project in Brazil, linked to potential displacement of the Mbyá Guaraní community. Conversely, Marriott pledged to hire over 1,500 Ukrainian refugees and provided free room nights. The company committed to using 100% cage-free eggs globally by 2025 and aims for net-zero emissions by 2050 with verified science-based targets. Over 7,100 EV chargers have been installed, and 500 million small plastic bottles are eliminated annually.

Value Scores

Better Health for All0
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity-30
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect0
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing0
-100100
Honest & Fair Business-50
-100100
Kind to Animals0
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business-50
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities0
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech-60
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products-30
-100100

Better Health for All

0

Marriott International demonstrates a commitment to mental and physical well-being through several initiatives. In 2023, the company introduced neuroinclusive practices at global events, providing quiet rooms and sensory tools in collaboration with Google's Experience Institute's The Neu Project

1
. Marriott also hosted a Mental Health Awareness panel as part of Associate Appreciation Week to reduce mental health stigma and promote early detection
2
. Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy resorts offer outdoor activities such as yoga and guided snorkeling to enhance physical and mental well-being, including a desert bathing experience at the Aruba Marriott Resort
3
. The company further launched the TakeCare Level30 app to promote well-being through positive behavior building and coaching on healthy living
4
. The company's core business activities, hospitality, do not inherently have direct health impacts, carry health risks, or involve health-related patents, clinical trials, or addiction potential.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

-30

The Marriott Employee’s Federal Credit Union (MEFCU) offers a "Mini Loan" with an effective annual percentage rate (APR) of 46.616%.

1
This rate includes an 18% fixed interest rate and a $35 application fee.
2
MEFCU charges $11 in fees for every $100 loaned.
3
Marriott International's core business lies outside finance, and no dedicated financial inclusion programs are evidenced.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

0

No evidence available to assess Marriott International Inc on Fair Pay & Worker Respect.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

0

The provided articles mention Marriott's aim to responsibly source 95% of its top 10 priority categories by 2025 and require contracted suppliers to provide sustainability information.

1
As of 2023, 40.15% of paper products are Forest Stewardship Council-certified
2
and 42.04% of total egg spend is on cage-free eggs.
3
Marriott also co-launched the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement, which uses EcoVadis to evaluate over 2,000 suppliers for transparency and sustainability.
4
However, these details do not provide quantifiable data for the specific KPIs in the rubric, such as the percentage of overall tier-1 spend covered by fair-trade certifications, average audit frequency, number of forced/child labor incidents, or the percentage of suppliers with traceable provenance data.

Honest & Fair Business

-50

Marriott International incurred $20,630,732 in ethics-related penalties over the past three years

1
, including a $630,732 settlement for employment discrimination allegations in 2022
2
and $20 million in damages from a disability accommodation lawsuit in 2023
3
. The company has faced multiple ethical challenges, such as data security breaches from 2014 to 2020 that affected 344 million customers
4
, leading to an FTC order to improve security
5
. A proposal for a civil rights audit in 2023 received 11.1% shareholder support
6
.

Kind to Animals

0

Marriott International's core business is hospitality, which does not involve product manufacturing, animal testing, or animal husbandry operations. The company committed in December 2018 to transition to using only cage-free eggs across its global operations by 2025, pledging to publish annual progress reports

1
. Individual properties have engaged in conservation initiatives: the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, opened in April 2023, supports The Mara Elephant Project and The Mara Protector Conservation Programme for wildlife and habitat protection, and donates a percentage of its nightly rate to The Maa Trust
2
. The Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa established a Merlin Butterfly Sanctuary and Reef Education Centre in partnership with IUCN, which received a Responsible Thailand Award in 2018
3
. The JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa also collaborates with IUCN to promote sustainable seafood practices, sourcing black crabs over 150 grams using low-impact gear
4
.

No War, No Weapons

0

Marriott International actively promotes peace and cultural understanding through various initiatives. The company collaborates with Global Ties U.S. to facilitate global engagement and dinner diplomacy events.

1
Marriott pledged to hire over 1,500 Ukrainian refugees in Europe by 2026, with 980 already hired as of June 2023, and provided free room nights for relief workers and refugees.
2
Since 2019, Marriott has invested $210,000 in organizations promoting peace
3
and supports the USIP's Generation Change Fellows Program, which aids youth-led organizations in conflict-affected countries.
4

Planet-Friendly Business

-50

Marriott International had its near- and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in April 2024.

1
The company aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
2
and reported a 24.6% reduction in carbon emissions per square meter of conditioned space by the end of 2022, against a 2016 baseline, towards a 30% reduction goal.
3
Marriott supported environmental initiatives such as mangrove restoration in Mexico and the UAE, reforestation in the U.S., and fisheries renewal in Thailand and South America.
4
By the end of 2023, the company had installed over 7,100 EV chargers at more than 1,800 properties globally.
5
Additionally, the transition to residential-sized bath amenities is expected to prevent approximately 500 million small bottles from reaching landfills annually.
6

Respect for Cultures & Communities

0

Marriott International supports over 70 minority-owned businesses through its 'Mercaditos Verdes' program at the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belén.

1
The company has formed two formal partnerships with indigenous or local community groups: an alliance with the Oropopo Indigenous Research Center
2
and a partnership with Four Fires LLC, a financial partnership of Native American tribes.
3
Marriott has been criticized for one cultural appropriation incident involving the unauthorized use of the sacred Guaraní concept 'Maraey' in a project name in Brazil.
4

Safe & Smart Tech

-60

Marriott has faced multiple significant data breaches and regulatory actions. In October 2024, the company agreed to a $52 million settlement with federal and state authorities for data breaches that occurred between 2014 and 2020

1
, committing to enhance its data security and offer U.S. customers the option to request deletion of their personal data
2
. This settlement followed a £18.4 million fine from the UK's Information Commissioner's Office in 2020 for a massive 2018 data breach that affected up to 500 million guests and began in 2014
3
, compromising sensitive information
4
. In March 2020, another breach impacted approximately 5.2 million guests
5
. More recently, in July 2022, Marriott confirmed a small-scale data breach where an unknown threat actor accessed data on a computer at one of its hotels
6
, including personal information of guests and personnel
7
.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

-30

Marriott has implemented three distinct waste reduction initiatives. In the UK, Ireland, and Nordics, 53 managed hotels reduced food waste by 25% within six months using Winnow AI technology

1
. Globally, the company eliminated approximately 500 million small plastic bottles of toiletries annually across over 7,000 hotels
2
. Additionally, a partnership with Clean the World has diverted over 24 million pounds of waste from landfills
3
.

Own Marriott International Inc?

Upload your portfolio and see how all your holdings score across 11 ethical dimensions.

Audit My Portfolio

AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.