A series of high profile accolades have been awarded to Marriott International in the UK, Germany and Portugal, firmly establishing its position as a top employer in Europe. For the seventh consecutive year, Marriott features on the Sunday Times “25 Best Big Companies to Work For” list, this year climbing one place to sixth overall. This award follows two further awards; Focus magazine in Germany and Exame magazine in Portugal.

Sunday Times Marriott pictureAccording to the Sunday Times, ‘making people feel at home’ is what Marriott International does best. It also recognised Marriott for providing opportunities for personal development, having a strong social conscience and developing good managers. Marriott associates said that the company is run on strong principles and they are proud to work for it, gaining 81% positive scores on both counts. Associates also said that the experience they gain working for Marriott bodes well for their future (79% place Marriott amongst the four highest scoring companies) and believe they can make a real contribution to the success of the business (83%). Finally, Marriott was recognised for its global “associate appreciation week,” in which employees are thanked and recognised for their efforts.

Focus magazine in Germany, a reputable business magazine, in collaboration with the employer rating platform www.Kununu.de and social network site www.Xing.de, awarded Marriott fifth place in the Hospitality, Restaurants, Entertainment, Fitness & Tourism section and 55th place out of the 800 companies reviewed, competing with leading companies like Audi and BMW. Thousands of respondents gave ratings on leadership qualities, career prospects and willingness to recommend their employer.

In Portugal, The Ritz-Carlton Penha Longa Resort was selected as the Best Company to Work For in Portugal in the hospitality segment and ranked fifth overall out of 100 companies, as selected by Accenture and the leading economics magazine, Exame. Competing against thousands of other entries, the hotel excelled in several categories.

“We are committed to our core value of ‘Putting People First’ and firmly believe that this commitment is the hallmark to our success as a business,” commented Amy McPherson, president and managing director of Marriott International in Europe. “To be included in the ‘Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to Work For’ list for the seventh year running is a fantastic achievement, but to also be awarded and recognised with two further accolades as an ‘employer of choice’ in both Germany and Portugal is incredibly motivating. These awards are testament to the ongoing dedication and enthusiasm of our workforce which, in turn, positively impacts the guest experience and ensures that we continuously offer a service that surpasses expectations.”

In addition to every day work responsibilities, associates are encouraged to involve themselves in their community and participate in annual company sponsored volunteer activities. To date, Marriott associates in Europe have volunteered more than 13,000 hours and helped raise over €500,000 to support Marriott’s charitable partners, The Prince’s Trust in the UK and SOS Children’s Villages in Continental Europe.

Marriott has long been recognised as a great place to work by several prominent publications. For a full list of other awards and recognition, visit http://news.marriott.com/awards-and-recognition.html.

The 2014“Sunday Times 25 Best Big Companies to Work For List”, announced online on the 2nd March, and its sister award, the “Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For” list, recognise the best employers in the United Kingdom, based on employee’s own assessments on how they are valued and invested in by their company. This year 250,000 employees from 897 companies entered the process.

For more details on the award, visit

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