Marriott International Class A Common Stock

Digital transformation and innovation · Artificial intelligence and automation

We are incorporating AI and other emerging technologies into certain of our processes, offerings, and services, and these technologies may become increasingly important in our operations over time. The introduction of these technologies, particularly generative AI, into our processes, offerings, and services may also result in new or expanded risks and liabilities, including due to increased government attention and rapidly-evolving regulatory frameworks governing such technologies, legal claims and assertions, compliance and ethical considerations, data security and privacy risks, and other factors that could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, or results of operations.

Cybersecurity and data protection · Data breaches and cyber attacks

We are exposed to risks and costs associated with protecting the integrity and security of data. In the operation of our business, we collect, store, use, and transmit large volumes of personal data regarding associates, guests, customers, hotel owners, service providers, other third parties, and our own business operations, including credit card numbers, reservation and loyalty data, and other personal data, in various information systems that we maintain and in systems maintained by third parties.

Digital transformation and innovation · Technology obsolescence and evolution

A failure to keep pace with developments in technology could impair our operations or competitive position. The lodging industry continues to demand the use of sophisticated technology and systems, including those used for our reservation, customer relationship management, finance, analytics, revenue management, property management, human resources and payroll systems, our Loyalty Program, and technologies we make available to our guests and for associates, and these and other technologies and systems must be refined, updated, and/or replaced with more advanced systems on a regular basis.

Cybersecurity and data protection · Third party data security and vendors

Security measures implemented by our hotel owners, service providers, and other third parties with whom we or they do business also may not be sufficient, as we have seen in the past. Efforts to hack or circumvent security measures, efforts to gain unauthorized access to, exploit or disrupt the operation or integrity of our data or information systems, failures of information systems or software to operate as designed or intended, viruses, 'ransomware' or other malware, 'supply chain' attacks, 'phishing' or other types of business communications compromises, operator error, or inadvertent releases of data have impacted, and may in the future impact, our information systems and records or those of our hotel owners, service providers, or other third parties.

Technology infrastructure · Technology systems and infrastructure failure

Disruption in the functioning of our reservation, Loyalty Program, or other core operational systems, or our use of certain new technologies, could adversely affect our business. In the operation of our business, we manage or use sophisticated technology and systems, including those used for our reservation, customer relationship management, analytics, revenue management, property management, human resources and payroll systems, our Loyalty Program, and technologies we make available to our guests and for associates.

Geopolitical and trade · Trade policies tariffs and sanctions

Because we conduct our business on a global scale, we are affected by changes and uncertainties in global, national, or regional economies, governmental policies (including in areas such as trade, travel, spending, immigration, labor, healthcare, and related issues), and geopolitical, public health, social and other conditions and events.

Economic and market conditions · Economic recession and downturns

Economic and other global, national, and regional conditions and events have in the past materially impacted, and could in the future materially impact, our business, operations, financial results, and growth. Because we conduct our business on a global scale, we are affected by changes and uncertainties in global, national, or regional economies, governmental policies (including in areas such as trade, travel, spending, immigration, labor, healthcare, and related issues), and geopolitical, public health, social and other conditions and events.

Natural and catastrophic events · Terrorism and security threats

Our business, financial results, and growth are impacted by weak or volatile economic conditions; pandemics and other outbreaks of disease; natural and man-made disasters; changes in energy prices, interest rates, inflation, and currency values; political instability, geopolitical disputes or conflict, actual or threatened war, terrorist activity, civil unrest and other acts of violence; heightened travel security measures, travel advisories, and disruptions in air and ground travel.

Industry regulation · Regulatory compliance and changes

The effects of, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws, regulations, and government policies may disrupt our business, lower our revenues, increase our costs, reduce our profits, limit our growth, or damage our reputation. We, the hotels in our system, our other lodging offerings, and the programs that we offer are subject to or affected by a variety of laws, regulations, and government policies around the globe, including, among others, those related to employment practices; marketing and advertising; consumer protection; trade and economic sanctions; anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering; intellectual property; cybersecurity, data privacy, data localization, data transfers, the handling of personally identifiable information, and AI and other emerging technologies.

Data and privacy · Cross border data transfer regulations

In addition, uncertainty around cross-border data transfers, including from the U.S., may require us to restrict certain data transfers, cease doing business with certain third parties, or change how data flows throughout our business, any of which could materially impact our operations.

Data and privacy · Data protection and privacy laws

Changes in privacy and data security laws could increase our operating costs and increase our exposure to payment obligations and litigation. We are subject to numerous, complex, and frequently changing laws, regulations, and contractual obligations designed to protect personal information. Various U.S. federal and state laws, non-U.S. laws, payment card industry security standards, and other information privacy and security standards are all applicable to us.

Tax and financial reporting · Tax compliance and changes in tax law

Changes in tax law, interpretations of existing tax law, or agreements or disputes with tax authorities could increase our tax costs. Determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires estimation and significant judgment, including because of the number of countries and territories in which we provide programs and services and the accounting complexity of certain of those programs and services.

Legal and litigation · Intellectual property disputes

Third-party claims that we infringe the intellectual property rights of others or our failure to defend our own intellectual property rights could materially adversely affect our business. Third parties sometimes make claims against us for infringing their intellectual property rights (including as a result of the actions of our hotel owners, service providers, and other parties with whom we do business).

Human capital and workforce · Talent acquisition and retention

Our business could suffer if we or the hotels in our system cannot attract and retain associates or as the result of the loss of the services of our senior executives. We and the hotels in our system compete with other companies both within and outside of our industry for personnel. We and the hotels in our system have in the past experienced, and could in the future experience, challenges hiring for certain positions due to various factors, such as increasing wage expectations or competition for labor from other industries.

Human capital and workforce · Labor relations and union negotiations

Collective bargaining activity and strikes could materially disrupt hotel operations, increase labor costs, and interfere with the ability of our management to focus on executing our business strategies. A significant number of associates at our managed, leased, and owned hotels are covered by collective bargaining agreements. If relationships with our organized associates or the unions that represent them become adverse, then, as we have seen in the past, the properties we operate could experience labor disruptions such as strikes, lockouts, boycotts, and public demonstrations.

Customer and revenue · Customer concentration and key customer dependence

Our growth strategy depends upon attracting hotel owners to our platform, and future arrangements with these third parties may be less favorable to us, depending on the terms offered by our competitors. Adding properties to our system entails entering into and maintaining various arrangements with hotel owners. Our ability to attract and retain hotel owners and the terms of our agreements with hotel owners are influenced by the value, quality, and performance of our brands, the value and benefits of our Loyalty Program and other programs and services, our willingness to provide incentives to hotel owners to secure new agreements, the overall commercial terms of our agreements, and the relative value and benefits of offerings otherwise available to hotel owners in the market.

Market position and competition · Competitive pressure and market share loss

Our industry is highly competitive, which may impact our ability to compete successfully for guests. We operate in markets that contain many competitors. Our hotel brands and other lodging offerings generally compete with regional, national, and international chains that operate lodging properties or franchise their brands, lodging properties that are not affiliated with a chain, and online platforms that allow travelers to book short-term rentals of homes and apartments.

Customer and revenue · Changing customer preferences and behavior

Climate or other sustainability-related concerns may affect guests' travel choices, including their frequency of travel. As a result of the foregoing, as we have seen in the past to some extent, we may experience reduced demand, increased costs, operating disruptions or limitations, and physical damage to hotels in our system, and we could experience constraints on our growth.

Market and investment · Market volatility and economic cycles

Our business, financial results, and growth are impacted by weak or volatile economic conditions; pandemics and other outbreaks of disease; natural and man-made disasters; changes in energy prices, interest rates, inflation, and currency values; political instability, geopolitical disputes or conflict, actual or threatened war, terrorist activity, civil unrest and other acts of violence.

Credit and liquidity · Credit risk and customer defaults

Losses on loans or guarantees that we have made to third parties impact our profits. From time to time, we make loans to hotel owners as described in Note 12 and provide guarantees to hotel owners or lenders as described in Note 7. We have suffered losses, and could suffer losses in the future, when hotel owners default on loans that we provide or when we are required to fund under guarantees and do not receive reimbursement from the hotel owner.