Without Reservations: How a Family Root Beer Stand Grew into a Global Hotel Company

In Without Reservations, global business leader and hotel industry icon J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr., shares both the story of and the recipe for the success of Marriott International, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. In 1964, on the eve of being named president of the company, Marriott’s father, founder and then-CEO J. Willard Marriott, Sr., tucked a letter in his 32-year-old son’s desk drawer. The letter, printed in this book, provides timeless advice for any person in any business who aims to achieve success. Without Reservations is a compilation of engaging stories that takes the reader behind the scenes as events and decisions unfold. Part biography, part business digest, Without Reservations presents a frank and candid perspective on achieving the pinnacle of one’s profession and lessons learned along the way. Marriott reflects on a range of compelling topics, including the impact of 9/11, the recent economic downturn, and decisions made—and not made.