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In partnership with the Digicel Group and the Clinton Global Initiative, February 2015 saw Marriott International open its first-ever property in Haiti: the 170 room, $145 million Marriott Port-au-Prince Hotel. This project demonstrates how hotel development can be a model for social innovation and community investment. Along with the opening came 200 new jobs for local Haitians, often from underserved communities. Marriott collaborated with Haiti’s Ministry of Tourism to select Haitian youth to train at the nearby JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo and return to Haiti after a 12-week internship to become entry-level supervisors. Marriott also worked with World Central Kitchen to build the skills and training of Haiti’s hospitality workforce through a newly designed hospitality curriculum for local culinary students. In addition to employment and skills development, the hotel is practicing responsible and local sourcing by procuring from local small businesses, farms, Haitian artisans, social enterprises, and responsible businesses, such as TOMS and Rebo Coffee. The hotel was designed with sustainability in mind, equipped with energy-efficient building technologies and advanced waste management systems.
