Marriott International launches HotelHelp pilot to support survivors of human trafficking

This initiative was unveiled at the AHLA Foundation’s third annual No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit, coinciding with the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

HotelHelp is currently being tested in five U.S. cities: Atlanta, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., with plans to extend to 25 cities across North America by January 2025. Marriott aims to expand this program globally, involving other hotel companies and addressing the needs of various vulnerable communities in the long term.

“Survivors of human trafficking often face a shortage of dedicated shelter beds, putting them at greater risk of being re-trafficked after exiting their trafficking situation,” said Anthony Capuano, president and CEO of Marriott International. “We are proud to have developed a solution to bridge the gap for safe, short-term accommodations for trafficking survivors and look forward to collaborating with other hotel companies to extend the reach of this effort.”

HotelHelp draws inspiration from the success of HospitalityHelps, an online booking platform established by HotelSwaps, PKF International, and the Bench to provide short-term hotel stays for Ukrainian refugees. During the first three months of the Ukraine conflict, HospitalityHelps booked over 100,000 room nights in 630 hotels, including over 8,700 room nights in 87 Marriott hotels throughout Europe. HotelSwaps remains a vital partner in the development and operation of HotelHelp.

The HotelHelp platform allows participating care and service providers to reserve up to five room nights per person and make reservations on behalf of their clients, ensuring the confidentiality of the survivors they serve. This localized approach fosters collaboration between care providers and participating hotels to navigate the unique requirements of each stay.

This initiative follows the national expansion of Marriott’s Future in Training (FiT) Hospitality Survivor Employability Curriculum, launched in partnership with the University of Maryland’s SAFE Center. The FiT Curriculum provides trauma-informed job readiness training for survivors interested in careers in hospitality. Since its inception, more than 160 survivors have been trained across 11 U.S. cities, supported by an inaugural grant from the AHLA Foundation No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund. Marriott and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation contributed $550,000 to the fund last year to enhance access to opportunities for survivors.

Marriott’s commitment to human rights is also evident in its ongoing efforts to train all on-property associates in human trafficking awareness by 2025, as part of its Serve 360 sustainability and social impact platform. Since 2016, over 1.3 million associates have been trained to recognize and respond to potential human trafficking situations. Additionally, the training modules donated by Marriott to the industry have been completed more than 1.6 million times through PACT. The enhanced version of Marriott’s human trafficking awareness training is now available through the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, making this crucial resource more accessible to hotel workers globally.

Marriott International’s innovative HotelHelp program marks a significant step in providing crucial support for human trafficking survivors, setting a new standard for corporate responsibility in the hospitality industry.