Marriott Needs to Revamp Its Dining Strategy — and Knows It

Marriott International executives know what people have thought about its dining options for the past few years or, well, decades. Namely, that the food and bar options were likely consistent and convenient, but that's simply code for "boring" and "uninspired." They are so aware of this commonly held conception of the hotel restaurant — a concept not solely limited to Marriott itself but to nearly every major hotel chain — that for the past few years, they've worked hard to try to transform the very idea of what a good, no, exceptional hotel dining outlet should be. "I do think the perception of the company and where we are, from an F&B [food and beverage] standpoint is five years in the past," said Dave Grissen, Marriott International group president. "We want to catch up to everyone a bit to where we are and where we want to go." Just a few days prior, Grissen stood before a crowd of more than 100 investment analysts at Marriott's biannual investor day presentation in New