Subject: An Open Letter
William P (Liam) Brown
Group President, United States and Canada
Marriott International, Inc
7750 Wisconsin Ave
Bethesda, MD

April 23, 2024

Dear Mr Brown:

Last week, I checked into the “Fairfield Inns and Suites Philadelphia Valley Forge/Great Valley” in Berwyn PA. Sitting prominently at the check-in counter was a stack of Epoch Times (either for sale or complimentary; I didn’t ask). A photo is attached.

My objection to this publication should be self-evident, but I’ll nonetheless quote the independent Media Bias/Fact Check: “Overall, we rate The Epoch Times Right Biased and Questionable based on the publication of pseudoscience and the promotion of propaganda and conspiracy theories, as well as numerous failed fact checks.”

Given the enormous amounts of time and money spent to make the Marriott family of business hotels as anodyne as possible, I have to assume that this experience was the result of an outlying manager, or even a rogue desk clerk…and, that you are well aware at how rapidly poisonous this polarizing can be to a brand. For example, I’ve defaulted to Marriott for years – I’m something called “Platinum Elite,” apparently – but it would be pretty straightforward for me to move to IHG or Hilton and start building up my free nights and upgrades there instead.

If you want to display the NYT, the WSJ, or USA Today, that’s one thing. But please take this generation’s Völkischer Beobachter off the counter.

I’d like a reply at your convenience, please. I (and my family) have more trips coming up.

Sincerely,