HQ is horrible - don't be fooled by "Best Company to Work For" rankings
Pros
They're striving to become something bigger and better, and at the property level they do deliver consistent experience and stays. Working hours are very flexible especially if you are a working parent. If you are looking for a slower pace and simple work, or to coast, it's easy to do this at Marriott HQ. If you are smart, it's really easy to get a good review and stand out. Their CEO (Arne) is wonderful and you can tell is passionate about the company and employees. He is compassionate and communicative with the organization, which a lot of large companies lack.
Cons
This review is based on HQ. For anyone coming from the outside (i.e. non-Marriott "lifers"), esp from other Fortune 500s, I HIGHLY recommend you stay away. BE WARNED! Don't be fooled by their "Best Company to Work for" rankings - this is likely based on the on-property employees who have a different experience. Marriott touts itself as an innovative, forward-thinking company who's breaking boundaries and changing the old Marriott ways. It's ALL TALK. You will become very frustrated very quickly if you have a reputable work history. The work is archaic, backwards, and very rudimentary; you will not learn, grow, or be challenged. You have Directors at Marriott who wouldn't even cut it as an Associate at other companies. The caliber of work you get from a lot of Marriott HQ employees is very hit or miss (more miss). Your experience largely depends on which dept you end up in, however the feeling of discontent is widespread across all depts. I wouldn't even know where to start re: how to fix Marriott; it's permeated throughout the whole organization, especially post-Starwood merger. Their chaos happens at every stage: e.g. recruiters contacting you 6 mos after you've applied and then going MIA, teams bleeding money with nothing getting done, HR not paying out final paychecks once an employee leaves and not responding (totally illegal), them doing the merger on their own with out the gel of a consulting firm, etc. It's a testament to what Marriott is really like. There's no forward thinking or strategy or intelligence being applied as a whole, and you will feel it as an HQ employee. Also, their benefits are meager in comparison to other Fortune 500 companies. If you're an expectant mother, their mat leave is laughable. They've been getting away with mediocre benefits based on their name and the fact there isn't much competition in the DC area, but that will likely change in the next few years if I had to guess.
