Marriott family discusses $25 million donation to create University of Utah hospitality institute

SALT LAKE CITY — The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation is giving the University of Utah $25 million to create a unique institute designed to help students interested in the hospitality industry. University leaders made the announcement Friday on campus. It's part of the Marriott family's efforts to explore a groundbreaking idea of improving hospitality around the world. "So, this was really an outside-the-box effort along with the University of Utah," said David S. Marriott, Trustee of the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and Marriott International Chairman of the Board. David Marriott, son of "Bill" Marriott, and Trustee of the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation said Friday's $25 million gift creates the J.W. Marriott, Jr. Institute on campus — a hub, soon to be built, where students from all majors can both live and learn skills from the hospitality industry. "So many skill sets come together to make up our industry and so we wanted to create an institute at the U that could really bring different ways of thinking, different ways of learning, different disciplines together to touch hospitality," Marriott said. The hub is meant to foster new ideas for those going into hospitality, possibly working at one of the 9,300 Marriott hotels worldwide, and spread the same skills to other industries. "So think about a nurse or someone who's working in healthcare, to have those good hospitality skills, being able to connect with their patients and customers, how much of a better experience they can build," Marriott said. The concept is modeled after the U's Lassonde Institute — which does the same for entrepreneurs — and is in line with the legacy that Bill Marriott and his family are trying to leave behind. "The institute will really be rooted in many of his leadership values, which are putting people first, pursuing excellence, embracing change," he said. It's even more meaningful to do it at the U: His father and mother met there, and her dad was a professor there. "To come full circle and have a hospitality institute established in his name is a unique source of pride for my dad and the entire Marriott family," Marriott said. They look forward to what it means for the future. "I think the exciting piece of it is, what is going to come out of this that's going to be game changing for hospitality and other industries," he said. So far there's no target date for the when the new building will go up on campus, but right now 20 students are already working in leadership roles with the institute to design what it will be and how it will work.

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