HOTELS

Adam Kirby

Prominent Hoteliers In Political Fray
June 11, 2008

The hotel industry player with the biggest political spotlight this campaign cycle may well be Las Vegas Sands Corp. CEO Sheldon Adelson. America's third-wealthiest individual is the founder of the prominent conservative organization Freedom's Watch, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is using Sands' investment in China as a negative campaign issue.

Reports Politico.com: "In Mississippi, a DCCC radio ad asked why [Republican House candidate George] Davis was accepting support from 'the world’s number one casino czar and one of atheist China’s top American business partners.' The DCCC referred to a massive casino Adelson’s Sands Corp. owns in Macau, just outside Hong Kong, as 'an investment in a country that steals our jobs, persecutes Christians, uses forced labor and forces women to have abortions.'"

The ad is, of course, incredibly disingenuous, but it's certainly not the kind of publicity Sands is looking for. (Nor is it particularly great for U.S.-China relations, frankly.) But the Democrats seem committed to making Adelson a Republican bogeyman throughout this campaign cycle, as similar ads have run in other states, and more are in the works.


Bill Marriott Strong For Romney
He’s not as controversial a figure as Adelson, but Bill Marriott isn’t afraid to stick his neck out into politics, either. 

Marriott has been among the most vocal supporters in the hotel industry for the creation of a guest worker program in the United States. Immigration, of course, has at times been a major issue in the presidential race, with candidates sparring over how to adequately police the Mexico border and what to do with the hundreds of thousands of people already in the country illegally—many of them working in the hotel industry. Marriott, obviously, has more than a passing interest in the outcome of American immigration reform.

The Republican Party tends to take a harder line on immigration issues than Democrats, but anyone assuming that would be reason for Marriott to support a Democrat for president would be wrong. Even as Marriott lobbies publicly for his pet issue, his preferred candidate—former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican—was among the most outspoken opponent of illegal immigration among the major candidates. 

Romney quit the race in February and is now backing presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. Marriott is likewise supporting McCain now, as he mentions in this recent Bloomberg TV interview, although he continues to lobby for Romney as vice president. Citing the Democratic candidates' stated desire to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement, Marriott says the Democratic party is "not particularly friendly to business."

As a company, Marriott International employees have cumulatively donated more money than any other hotel company this campaign cycle by a wide margin, with the vast majority, 86%, going to Republicans.

Incidentally, the friendship between Romney and Marriott goes way back. Both are Mormon, and Romney even spent time on Marriott International’s Board of Directors. It’s also worth pointing out that Romney, whose given name is Willard, was ostensibly named after Marriott’s father, J. Willard Marriott, who is among history’s most famous Mormons.


Pritzkers Divided Over Democrats
The Pritzker family of Global Hyatt Corp. fame seems to have a presence in just about every major Chicago endeavor, and the presidential campaign of the city resident Barack Obama is no exception. Penny Pritzker, the niece of Hyatt founder Jay Pritzker and CEO of Classic Residence by Hyatt, a senior assisted living brand, is Obama's national finance chairwoman.

Penny's younger brother, J.B. Pritzker, is national chairman of Citizens for Hillary, a grassroots group supporting Obama rival Hillary Clinton. Penny appears to have won this particular sibling rivalry.

Posted by Adam Kirby on June 11, 2008 | Comments (0)