Marriott

Hotels
123
NASDAQ: MAR
USA

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"Marriott International, the US-listed hotel operator, said it was “very keen” to enter the Iranian market pending the removal of legal barriers, with a spokesman from the hotel chain saying there is strong demand in Iran for hotels. Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director for the Middle East and Africa at Marriott, said that Iran represents a “substantial market” to be responded to in terms of demand for hotels. “Today, Marriott International, being a United States publicly-floated company, is precluded from doing business in Iran. Depending on what happens in the future and what agreements are reached between the United States and Iran, if the doors open legally to do business in Iran, we would be very keen to pursue that opportunity,” he said..." (Gulf News,  "Marriott 'very keen' to pursue opportunities in Iran," 12/7/2016).

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"A Hamburg hotel’s decision on Monday to hold a controversial conference with an alleged violator of human rights to promote German-Iranian trade prompted protest by New York–based United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and the German chapter of Stop the Bomb.... The day-long event addressed 'investment possibilities in the northwestern provinces of Iran' and the program listed Iran’s ambassador to Germany, Ali Reza Sheikh Attar, as the keynote speaker. Iranian Kurds and human rights groups say Attar sanctioned a massacre of Iranian Kurds during his tenure as governor of the Kurdistan and West Azarbaijan provinces from 1980 to 1985. In a letter faxed to Marriott’s CEO, J.W. Marriott Jr., UANI President Mark D. Wallace wrote, 'Ambassador Attar represents a criminal regime that flouts international law in developing an illegal nuclear weapon, brutally represses its own people, and is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.' UANI called on Marriott to cancel the pro-Iran trade event. 'If the Marriott continues with its plans to serve as a host to the Iran Business Forum and Ambassador Attar, UANI will take action against the Marriott hotel chain worldwide. UANI will call on its activists to peacefully protest your properties, and will call for a general public boycott of all Marriott properties,' wrote Wallace." (Jerusalem Post, "NGOs slam Marriott for hosting German-Iranian event," 11/23/10)

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On November 22, 2010, the Marriott Courtyard Airport Hotel in Hamburg was scheduled to host the "Iran Business Forum." UANI released a letter on November 19, 2010, calling on Marriott not to host the Iranian trade delegation.

Response: "respectfully decline your invitation to sign the Iran Business Declaration…will take your perspective into consideration as we continue to grow our global business.” (November 21, 2016)