Blood, sweat, and tears: The exec who launched Marriott in India tells Business Insider what it takes to open a hotel

"Blood, sweat, tears, and great team members. That's what it takes to launch a brand new hotel, Marriott International's chief commercial officer, John Toomey, told Business Insider. "The most difficult job for a hotelier is opening a hotel from zero, where you don't have one guest in your hotel," Toomey said."

""When you're starting something from zero, you really feel it," Toomey said. "It takes great leadership. It takes great team members. It takes everybody coming together to make that hotel a success." "It's not just the day the hotel opens. It's the six to nine to 12 months leading up to it, from getting the hotel staffing ready to go and selling your heart out," he continued."

"He added that customer loyalty programs such as Marriott Bonvoy have made it easier for hoteliers to expand their presence. As of 2024, Marriott Bonvoy had nearly 228 million members worldwide. "Now that we have such a deep loyalty program, we are in a better position to open hotels than when I was opening hotels 25 years ago," Toomey said. "I opened the first four hotels we had in India. Opening those was probably a lot more challenging than the nearly 160 hotels we have there now," he added."

John Toomey is Marriott's chief commercial officer for Asia Pacific, excluding China, and has been with Marriott since 1996. Launching a brand-new hotel from zero requires blood, sweat, tears, strong leadership, and great team members, with six to 12 months of preparation for staffing and sales. Establishing a brand foothold in foreign markets and a deep loyalty program eases expansion. Marriott Bonvoy had nearly 228 million members in 2024, improving the company's ability to open new hotels. Marriott's India portfolio grew from four initial hotels to nearly 160 today.

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