Marriott International Launches HotelHelp Pilot to Provide Short-Term Emergency Stays for Human Trafficking Survivors

Rhea-AI Summary

Marriott International has launched HotelHelp, a pilot program donating short-term emergency stays for human trafficking survivors. The initiative is currently active in five U.S. cities and aims to expand to 25 cities across North America by January 2025. HotelHelp addresses the shortage of dedicated shelter beds for survivors, reducing the risk of re-trafficking.

The program leverages a proven system modeled after HospitalityHelps, which provided accommodations for Ukrainian refugees. Participating care providers can reserve up to five room nights per person on behalf of their clients. This initiative complements Marriott's existing efforts, including the Future in Training (FiT) Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum, which has trained over 160 survivors across 11 U.S. cities since July 2023.

Positive

• Launch of HotelHelp program to provide emergency accommodation for human trafficking survivors
• Planned expansion to 25 North American cities by January 2025
• Over 160 survivors trained through the FiT Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum since July 2023
• 1.3 million managed and franchised associates trained in human trafficking awareness since 2016

Negative

• None.

Insights

Corporate Social Responsibility Expert

Marriott International's launch of HotelHelp represents a significant step in corporate social responsibility within the hospitality industry. This initiative addresses a critical need for safe, short-term accommodations for human trafficking survivors, potentially reducing the risk of re-trafficking. The program's planned expansion to 25 cities across North America by January 2025 and eventual global scaling demonstrates Marriott's commitment to this cause.

The collaboration with HotelSwaps and leveraging of the HospitalityHelps model shows strategic thinking in adapting proven systems for social good. The success of booking over 100,000 room nights for Ukrainian refugees indicates the potential impact of this program for trafficking survivors.

Marriott's comprehensive approach, including the Future in Training (FiT) Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum and human trafficking awareness training for associates, showcases a holistic strategy to combat trafficking and support survivors. The training of over 1.3 million associates since 2016 represents a significant investment in awareness and prevention.

While the immediate financial impact on Marriott may be minimal, the long-term benefits in terms of brand reputation, employee engagement and potential industry leadership could be substantial. This initiative aligns with growing investor interest in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors, potentially enhancing Marriott's appeal to socially conscious investors.

Human Rights Analyst

Marriott's HotelHelp initiative marks a pivotal development in private sector engagement with human trafficking issues. By providing emergency accommodations, the program addresses a critical gap in survivor support services, potentially reducing vulnerability to re-trafficking. The pilot's strategic location in five major U.S. cities suggests a thoughtful approach to testing and refining the model before broader implementation.

The company's commitment to train all on-property associates in human trafficking awareness by 2025 is particularly noteworthy. This widespread education effort could significantly enhance detection and reporting of trafficking incidents, contributing to broader prevention efforts. The donation of training modules to the industry, resulting in 1.6 million completions through PACT, demonstrates Marriott's leadership in raising industry-wide awareness.

The Future in Training (FiT) Curriculum, with 160 survivors trained across 11 U.S. cities, represents a promising approach to survivor empowerment through economic opportunity. However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of such programs often depends on long-term support and job placement success, which will require ongoing evaluation.

While these initiatives are commendable, their true impact on human trafficking prevention and survivor support will need to be rigorously assessed over time. Transparency in reporting outcomes and continuous engagement with anti-trafficking experts will be important for ensuring the programs' effectiveness and accountability.

New initiative furthers company's commitment to anti-trafficking and survivor empowerment

BETHESDA, Md., July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the AHLA Foundation's third annual No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit in connection with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Marriott International, Inc. announced the pilot launch of HotelHelp, a rooms donation program for survivors of human trafficking. HotelHelp currently works with Marriott's portfolio of hotels that are willing to donate short-term emergency stays and established care providers who book these rooms for the survivors they support.

HotelHelp is being piloted in five U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., and is expected to expand to 25 cities across North America by January 2025. Over the long term, the company plans to scale the program to additional locations globally, to other hotel companies, and to serve other vulnerable communities in need of short-term accommodation.

"Survivors of human trafficking often face a shortage of dedicated shelter beds that put them at greater risk of being re-trafficked after exiting their trafficking situation," said Anthony Capuano, President and CEO of Marriott International. "As part of our longstanding anti-trafficking and survivor empowerment efforts, we are proud to have developed a solution to bridge the gap for safe, short-term accommodations for trafficking survivors and we look forward to working with other hotel companies to extend the reach of this effort."

Modeled after the success of HospitalityHelps, an online booking platform established by HotelSwaps in collaboration with PKF International, and the Bench to provide short-term hotel stays for Ukrainian refugees, HotelHelp leverages a proven system to facilitate room donations for people in need. During the first three months of the war in Ukraine, HospitalityHelps booked over 100,000 room nights in 630 hotels – including over 8,700 room nights in 87 hotels within the Marriott portfolio throughout Europe. HotelSwaps continues to be a key partner in the ongoing development and operation of HotelHelp.

On the HotelHelp platform, participating care and service providers can reserve up to five room nights per person and make reservations on behalf of their clients to protect the confidentiality of the survivors they serve. Using a localized approach, HotelHelp introduces care and service providers and participating hotels to one another and encourages them to work together to navigate the nuances of each stay.

This initiative comes exactly one year after Marriott announced the national expansion of its Future in Training (FiT) Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum in partnership with the University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment Center (the SAFE Center). The FiT Curriculum, designed to provide trauma-informed job readiness training for survivors interested in careers in hospitality, was deployed across the country by the SAFE Center with an inaugural grant from the AHLA Foundation No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund. More than 160 survivors have been trained across 11 U.S. cities since July 2023. Marriott International and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation jointly contributed $550,000 to the fund last year to help increase access to opportunity through investments in organizations on the frontline of survivor support.

Marriott's long history and deep commitment to advancing human rights is underpinned by its efforts to train all on-property associates in human trafficking awareness by 2025 as part of its sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360. Since the training was introduced in 2016, over 1.3 million of the company's managed and franchised associates have been trained to recognize and respond to potential human trafficking situations. Outside of Marriott, the training modules that Marriott has donated to the industry have been completed more than 1.6 million times through PACT. In addition, the enhanced version of Marriott's human trafficking awareness training is now available through the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as the company works to make this important resource more accessible to hotel workers around the world.

To learn more about Marriott International's work to combat human trafficking globally visit Welcome All and Advance Human Rights I Marriott International Serve360.

About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,900 properties across more than 30 leading brands in 141 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy^®, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on X and Instagram.

 

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.

FAQ

What is Marriott's HotelHelp program and when was it launched?

HotelHelp is Marriott International's pilot program launched on July 30, 2024, to provide short-term emergency stays for human trafficking survivors through room donations from participating hotels in the Marriott portfolio.

How many cities is Marriott's HotelHelp program currently operating in?

Marriott's HotelHelp program is currently being piloted in five U.S. cities: Atlanta, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

What is Marriott's (MAR) expansion plan for the HotelHelp program?

Marriott (MAR) plans to expand the HotelHelp program to 25 cities across North America by January 2025, with long-term goals to scale globally and include other hotel companies.

How many survivors have been trained through Marriott's Future in Training (FiT) Curriculum since July 2023?

More than 160 survivors have been trained across 11 U.S. cities through Marriott's Future in Training (FiT) Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum since July 2023.