Lawsuit blasts Marriott’s new sales strategy

December 12, 2011 | Hotel Marketing

In the suit, the owner of a 3-year-old Residence Inn in Alexandria, Va., says that the hotel's sales have been "abysmal" despite its convenient location. The suit alleges that Marriott is to blame because it recently revamped its sales force and outsourced the function to regional sales offices.

It's possible that the suit may serve as a "wake-up call" for owners of other Marriott-brand hotels that may be seeing similar results, says lawyer William Brewer of Bickel & Brewer, the firm that's representing Miller Global in this suit.

In addition to $20 million in damages, the suit also seeks an order requiring Marriott to pay back millions of dollars of management fees and other money that Marriott was paid while allegedly violating its management agreement with the owner.

The lawsuit sheds light on Marriott's new sales structure - dubbed "Sales Force One" - and questions how well it is working for hotel owners. Sales Force One was the name of Marriott's sweeping sales reorganization that it began phasing in nationally in December 2007 through this past summer.

Get the full story at USA Today

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