BETHESDA, Md., May 13, 2011 - Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) has honored eight employees with its highest honor, J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence.  Established in 1987 in honor of the company's founder, the Award of Excellence is presented annually to Marriott employees nominated by their supervisors or peers for their outstanding performance, and for demonstrating the five key traits inscribed on the award medallion: achievement, character, dedication, effort and perseverance.

Marriott also announced the recipients of its Alice S. Marriott Award for Community Service, and the J. W. Marriott, Jr., Diversity Excellence Award.

For the Award of Excellence, Marriott's senior management selected the following honorees:

Check out Our Stories to learn more about each honoree.

Mr. Saad el Bakry Steward Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino Cairo, Egypt Mr. Robert L. Hampton Doorman Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel Atlanta, Georgia Ms. Maria "Rosie" Hernandez Housekeeping Manager Residence Inn Eugene Springfield Eugene, Oregon Mr. Hassan Ibrahim Prep Cook Dallas Marriott Suites Market Center Dallas, Texas

Ms. Joanne McHugh General Accountant Boston Marriott Newton Boston, Massachusetts   Mrs. Patricia Rainey Cluster Director of Human Resources Scotland/North UK Cluster Glasgow, Scotland Mr. Louis "Ray" Wood Senior Director, Loss Prevention Marriott Vacation Club International Orlando, Florida Ms. Barbara Zhuang Public Area Attendant The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai Shanghai, China

The Alice S. Marriott Award for Community Service is presented to a Marriott business unit and its team of employees in recognition of excellence in corporate citizenship.  This prestigious award recognizes the desire of Marriott and its people to carry on the commitment of the company's founders by giving energy, time and resources to help improve the lives of others.  This year's recipient was the Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai in Chennai, India.

The J.W. Marriott, Jr., Diversity Excellence Award is the highest form of recognition for a business unit, corporate department or individual that demonstrates excellence in promoting diversity and building an environment of inclusion for all. This year's recipient was the Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The awards were presented at a special gala at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, Md.  The gala, broadcast to Marriott locations around the world, was viewed by more than  2,000 employees, family members and business partners.

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