Analyzing COVID-19's Impact on Marriott Food and Beverage Services

This conference research paper examines the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Marriott's food and beverage operations. The report details the challenges faced by the hospitality industry, including changes in consumer behavior, economic crises, and the need for rapid adaptation. It highlights Marriott's responses, such as the shift to organic food, home delivery services (Marriott on wheels), and enhanced hygiene protocols like the "We Care" program. The paper also analyzes competitive strategies, government regulations, and the importance of maintaining brand image. Recommendations include menu adjustments, discount vouchers, and transparent cleaning practices. The report emphasizes the need for Marriott to address issues like supply chain disruptions, and to adopt effective marketing to promote their strategies. The paper concludes that the pandemic has forced significant changes within the hospitality industry and offers insights into how Marriott can navigate these challenges, ensuring both customer safety and business sustainability.

A CONFERENCE
RESEARCH PAPER
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
IMPACT COV-19
BEFORE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Covid-19 drastically impacts the hospitality industry, restaurants and many other which
provides services to the consumers. There are various factors that that were driving by the
hospitality industry before pandemic situation which includes enhanced disposable income, new
travel trends, increasing online business, web presence of their offered services in terms of food
and beverages offered by them to their consumers. Along with all companies within the
hospitality industry, Marriott also faced drastic challenges with the beginning of Covid-19
situation into this world. It has been stated by the Marriott that previously, the occupancy rate led
near about 16% during the financial year before the introduction of pandemic situation while
after the entry of Covid-19, the occupancy level lies below 24% which was many more in their
previous financial years (Pillai, S.G., and et.al., 2021). Thus, in order to give detailed analysis,
this report will highlight the concept about the changes that is being adopted by Marriott along
with its importance, their effects and impacts, competitive firms, the ways in which the changes
have been happen along with certain recommendations which will help Marriott to overcome
such situations.
MAIN BODY
With the entrance of the Covid-19 situation within the market place, the hospitality industry
is the one that has been hit by such storming situations in context of food and beverages around
the globe. Normal operations within the restaurants have been stopped and many businesses have
been forced to revolve their offerings in order to survive their business activities in front of their
other competitive firms. . Only few of the pizza shops that provide carry out services are allowed
up to an extent to deliver some of the services in restricted ways. As the whole world is facing
drastic situation as it creates economic crisis and millions of employees are losing their job, all
are associated with the Covid-19 situation and thus it requires quickly changes in terms of social
as well as economic within the Marriott through which they are able to sustain their business
(Anguera-Torrell, O., Aznar-Alarcón, J.P. and Vives-Perez, J., 2020). Changes occur in the
living and eating habits of millions of people highly influences the Marriott in order to adopt
certain changes to fulfil the demands of customers in appropriate manner. This also creates a
strong base of the culture of the food industry as in order to take these changes as a greener and
more sustainable approach to the operations of the food and beverage industry. In order to fight

with Covid-19 situation, society people more likely to adopt food that are organic in nature and
avoid fast food practices to make them healthy. This particular change is important in order to
survive within the market in front of other competitive firms of Marriott. Change regarding the
entry of organic food products also helps the food and beverage industry to survive their business
operations within the external environment in which the pandemic situation exists. As the
business leaders of Marriott involves most of the cost effective models along with using organic
food products approach, they are able to invest less in food and beverages operations and related
manpower along with food and beverages programming may be extraordinarily reduced in
general.
With the involvement of such kind of changes within the Marriott, it has been analysed
that customers are likely to move again towards the restaurants and hotels as they feel safe
regarding the services they avail from the restaurants and hotels. They feel that their health is the
primary concept for the hotel as well and they welcome them with the fulfilment of their
demands and desires and thus it creates a feeling that customers’ feelings are being respected by
the Marriott staff and managers in complete manner (Sharma, M. and Rajasekaran, R., 2020).
Covid-19 situation highly affects the overall business activities and thus the food and beverages
industry along with hospitality industry also have been impacted with it. The pandemic situation
affects the local markets and businesses in drastic way. With the introduction of this state of
affairs, many restaurants have closed in order to never to return situation. It highly affects the
present as well as the future situations of the hotel Marriott in complete manner. The primary
consideration of Marriott after Covid-19 will be on the health and safety which introduces
hygiene and sanitisation issues within the hotel. The security measures of the restaurants and
hotels are highly affected as it includes various kinds of functioning that needs to be fulfilled by
the hotel Marriott in order to sustain their business activities within the external environment in
which there are many competitive firms are available to grab the customer base and thus the
profit margins as well. The hotel staffs are needs to be extremely experienced, multi tasking as
well as loyal employees in order to offer their effective services to the guests that are coming for
the services of Marriott because of their brand name. They must have to justify the brand name
value in efficient manner. Marriott have to select food and beverages vendors who are
appropriate enough to supply enough amounts of goods as and when required by them and thus
fulfil the requirements up to their full capacity. Self services have been encouraged in order to

reduce human physical contacts with each other (Lakshmi, B.M. and Shareena, P., 2020). The
pandemic situation also somehow affects the food and beverages industry as well which includes
shortage of working capital along with limited operations of distributers. With the negative
supply stock of food and beverages industry, most of the hotels and restaurants have to come in
the situation in which they need to shut down their business activities. Although food and
beverages industry tries their maximum to reduce its negative effects upon hotels and restaurants
and thus they also not face any kind of difficulties in their businesses.
The pandemic situation has confronted the hospitality industry with an extraordinary
challenge. Strategies that has been prepared by the government to flatten the curve of pandemic
situation such as social distancing, lockdowns, stay at home orders, travel and mobility
restrictions have resulted in temporary closure of hospitality business activities and importantly
decrease the demand for businesses that were allowed to continue to operate. All restaurants and
hotels were advised to restrict their services up to an extent. This situation creates sharp decline
in hotel occupancies along with revenue generation. However, as the situation handled by the
government, the reopening procedure has slowly begun to start and authorities have start to ease
restrictions which includes reopening of dine-in restaurants although with reduced capacity of
sitting with social distancing guidelines and gradually reduces the restrictions even on domestic
as well as international travel arrangements. As the industry now slowly recovering, the covid-19
crisis carries on to make use of impacts in which the hospitality business operates. Thus, in order
to overcome from this drastic situation, hospitality businesses are expected to make necessary
changes into their operations in the situation of Covid-19 in order to make sure about the
employees and their guests health and safety (Qiu, S.C., and et.al., 2021). This highly impact the
hospitality industry in context of food and beverages as they face many challenges in that way as
well in order to offer healthy, fresh and organic food products to customers because they are well
aware about their health after this pandemic situation and requires certain changes in their food
habits as well which will need to adopt by hospitality sector as well to run their business in
efficient manner.
It has been evaluated that the competition within the hospitality sector is extremely high and
for the hotel which has a great brand image such as Marriott have already have various
competitors within the external environment. After the introduction of Covid-19, it becomes
difficult for each hospitality firm to sustain within the market space and thus for the Marriott as

well. However, in order to sustain their business under such drastic situations, Marriott develops
various strategies to fulfil the demands and desires of consumers along with their safety
measures keeping in mind. Leading hotel chain Marriott International which has observe their
business stab back with huge percentage since the lockdown situation arises due to pandemic.
Thus, the company develops the strategy in which they continue their food and beverages
delivery along with take away business even after the induction of lockdown circumstances with
complete hygiene and safety along with social distancing. With the situation of lockdown
approximately four times in total, Marriott develops newer options in order to maintain their
business sustained in front of their competitive organizations and landed upon an idea of home
delivery of food with the help of new and innovative concept of Marriott on wheels. The leaders
of Marriott share their views in the favour of this idea and represent that they will continue
theses services in their long term for the betterment of the Marriott. Pandemic situation has
promoted various changes in Marriott and alter everything from guests check INS to their
checkout along with giving dine in facilities in most hygienic and healthy manner. Marriott adds
“We Care” program in order to offer clinically clean environment with the help of proper
sanitisation and hygiene in order to giving preferences to the hygienic and healthy food and
beverages along with proper distribution of food in timely manner. This program specifically
includes all the attempts related to the rules, procedures, operations and processes which help the
Marriott people to install a sense of safety, security and comfort within guests in within hotel
services as well as home delivery practices. With the adoption of safe dining environment and
various food and beverages items for the guests with proper hygiene and social distancing,
Marriott is able to maintain their brand image in front of other competitors and thus overcome
from drastic situation of pandemic up to some extent (Kerr, W.A., 2021). However, the new
development in regards to pandemic situation that can be adopts by the Marriott in order to
provide effective services are the firm can reduce the menu items to avoid losses and create a
special menu which implements daily specifics along with offering of healthy items rather than
fast food with ecological and quality packaging for takeaways and home delivery. Apart from
this, the Marriott will have to also offer certain food and beverages discount vouchers in advance
which the customers or guests can redeem at any point of time and thus provides their complete
support to the Marriott in most appropriate manner. The hotel managers can also develop
strategies which involves display of restaurant cleaning and disinfection plans along with their

working visible to all the guests as well as potential guests to reassure them about the healthy
practices that has been followed by Marriott.
It has been identified that apart from Marriott, there are other hotel firms who are trying
their best to fight with such drastic situation and adopts similar kind of strategies in order to
overcome from such circumstances. For instance, the planning of introduction of organic food
and beverages items might have adopt by other competitive establishments of Marriott as well
but in order to take advantage of this strategy company have to promote their offered services in
most attractive and most appropriate way with the help of telling stories which helps aware each
consumers about the advantages of organic food products. The firm have to make their
representation in simple manner along with finding an influencer for the services which describe
the benefits most effectively. Marriott have to adopt various social media platform services to
reach huge amount of guests and consumers and create a different and effectual advertisements
which are related to the promotion of strategies and methods of offering organic and hygiene
food and beverages to people living in society. However, ecological and quality packages along
with discount vouchers also help to create their brand image in different manner apart from other
hotels and resorts. Although, it is risky procedure because it requires huge amount of capital at
first instance and does not provide any kind of surety that these strategies will effectively
provides satisfaction to the Marriott in such dangerous pandemic situation. In addition to that, the
organic food products are also quite expensive in comparison to the normal food and beverages
products as the food supply is limited as compared to its demand and its production cost are also
higher because it involves large labour input (Sharma, G.D., Thomas, A. and Paul, J., 2021).
Hence, all these practices may help the Marriott to come out of such pandemic situation but with
the involvement of certain risks as there are various other competitors are also available in the
similar market space.
With the evaluation of the whole study, it has been recommended to the Marriott in order to
sustain their activities related to food and beverages after the pandemic situations which already
effects highly and in drastic manner. Marriot needs to focus towards the changes that have been
required by the consumers or guests. The expectations of the guests need to be the primary part
for the establishment and they have to follow them in appropriate manner. Marriott have to
review their previous services and adopts the changes according to customers’ expectations and
experiences. They have to offer personal serving spoons for delivering dishes to their guests in

order to promote contactless delivery (Khan, M.A., and et.al., 2020). Improper choice of raw
food stuff is the basic reason due to which this pandemic has been spread all over the world.
Thus, it greatly affects the food and beverages habits of consumers in order to avoid fast food
and raw meat and involves more of healthy and fresh or green vegetables, salads; fruits are
highly recommended by customers. So, Marriott also needs to improve their menu card and
addition of such kind of dishes helps them to fight against such pandemic situation. The choices
of the consumers also shift from packaged food products to the fresh made food items which
include more of hygienic and organic materials. And thus in such manner, Marriott have to focus
on the overall quality of their offered services in context of food and beverages and even other
services as well will help them to sustain their brand image within the external environment in
front of their competitors.
CONCLUSION
From the above descriptive report, it has been concluded that Marriott needs to adopt
various changes in order to overcome from such drastic circumstances i.e. Covid-19. However,
the changes are related to the food and beverages practices has been taken at priority by the
Marriott because this the ultimate part which attracts more and more consumers towards any
hotel or restaurant. This study describes the inclusion of organic food products along with certain
other strategies as well which helps the firm to get better this situation which has been occurred
just after the introduction of pandemic situation which creates a situation of lockdown again and
again. This report has highlighted the impacts of Covid situation over the Marriott along with
certain recommendation sin order to overcome from such circumstances in quicker manner.

REFERENCES
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