Marriott Hotels has debuted a vending machine offering healthy fare such as salads and sandwiches using local ingredients in the lobby of Chicago Marriott O’Hare. The concept was inspired by Anjana Kallarackal, a 21-year old college student who submitted the idea via Marriott’s Travel Brilliantly campaign.
Marriott Hotels partnered with Chicago-based Farmer’s Fridge on the vending machine, which will be tested with guests at Chicago Marriott O’Hare over the next five months. Items curated and prepared daily by Farmer’s Fridge will range in price from US$3 to US$12 dollars and include The Detox Salad (also known as the Junk Food Eraser) made with organic kale, quinoa, fennel, fruits and beans in white balsamic vinaigrette as well as Lemon Pepper Chicken made with chicken breast from antibiotic-free chickens, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
According to Marriott, in little more than a year, nearly 2,500 ideas have been submitted to TravelBrilliantly.com. Recently, the site invited guests to help Marriott Hotels shape concepts that are closer to being rolled out. For example, the brand is working on offering a mix of amenities in a box that guests could purchase at check-in. Visitors to TravelBrilliantly.com can vote for their favorite amenities from a list under consideration or suggest their own ideas.