MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

1927 - J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott open the first A&W franchise. Hot Mexican food is added to the menu. Hot food sales inspire the name “The Hot Shoppe”

1928 - Two Hot Shoppes open, including a drive-in restaurant on the East Side

1937 - Airplane catering begins when Hot Shoppes begin distributing boxed lunches to passengers at Hoover Airport

1953 - Hot Shoppes goes public with $10.25 a share and sells out within 2 hours

1957 - The first hotel, the 365-room Twin Bridges Marriott Motor, opens on January 18. It has a drive-in check-in desk

1965 - Hot Shoppe Jr. opens its fast food restaurant

1972 - Marriott partners with Sun Line cruise line, announces plans for two Great America parks, and J.W. Marriott becomes CEO

1983 - Courtyard brand launched for business and leisure travelers

1984 - Marriott creates Marriott Vacation Club International. The first JW Marriott hotel opens in Washington, D.C.

1985 - J. Willard Marriott, Sr. dies at age 84. Bill Marriott is named chairman of the company a month later.

1987 - Marriott opens Fairfield Inn and Marriott Suites.

1988 - Marriott opens its 500th hotel in Warsaw, Poland, its first franchised hotel in Eastern Europe.

1993 - Marriott officially splits into two companies, Marriott International, Inc. and Host Marriott Corporation.

1995 - Marriott acquires 49% of the Ritz Carlton.

1997 - Marriott acquires the Renaissance brand and launches the TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Marriott Executive Residences brands.

1998 - Marriott launches the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott brand. Acquires an additional 50% stake in Ritz Carlton

1999 - Marriott acquires the ExecuStay corporate housing company.

2004 - The first Bulgari Hotels & Resorts opens in Milan, Italy.

2008 - Bill Marriott and Ian Schrager officially announce the launch of the EDITION brand.

2009 - Marriott launches the Autograph Collection brand, a premium and luxury brand.

2011 - The AC hotel brand is launched by Marriott. The launch of the Marriott Vacation Club International brand is complete.

2012 - Marriott announces his resignation as CEO, and Arne Sorenson becomes the company's third CEO.

2014 - Launch of Moxy, the new brand of the millennium

2015 - Marriott acquires Canadian hotel chain, Delta Hotels

2016 - MI acquires Starwood Hotels & Resorts, creating an important milestone that makes MI the world's largest hotel management group with more than 5,700 hotels with more than 1.1 million rooms of 30 brands in more than 110 countries. Merger date 09/23/2016.