Marriott CEO Sees 'Green Shoots'

J.W. Marriott Jr., the chairman and chief executive of Marriott International, speaks with the Miami Herald about the hotel industry.

Q: Well, what do you think? Recovery? More decline?

A: No, we're not seeing more decline. We're seeing some green shoots, but they're very sparse at this point. But there are some green shoots. We're seeing small amounts of group business pick up…

Q: How much does the current lodging market compare to what you thought it would be at the start of the year?

A: This is the worst lodging decline I've seen in my 55 years in the business. [But] it's better than we expected. We're doing better than we forecast.

Read the full interview.