A New Home for Hospitality at the U

A $25 million gift from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation is launching a new institute at the U that aims to embed hospitality principles into education across campus.

The J. W. Marriott, Jr. Institute, announced in April, will offer students from across disciplines hands-on programs that blend leadership training with real-world experience. Unlike traditional hospitality schools, the institute isn’t just about hotels. It’s about applying a hospitality frame of mind to business, health care, engineering, technology, and beyond.

“We are redefining hospitality not simply as an industry but as a mindset,” says U President Taylor Randall HBA’90. “This institute will prepare students to lead in the evolving experience economy.”

The initiative honors U alum J. W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr. BA’54, who helped grow Marriott International into one of the world’s most recognizable service brands. Early plans include partnerships with industry leaders like The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, global internships, campus-based training, and student-run projects tied to real university operations. The goal is to turn the U into a “living laboratory” for service innovation.

“My dad is proud to be a University of Utah alum, and to have a hospitality institute established in his name is a source of pride for him and our entire family,” says David S. Marriott BS’99, trustee of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and chairman of the board of Marriott International. “We know every student who walks through the doors will develop the mindset and the skillset to be the next generation of leaders around the world—not only in hospitality but countless other industries that also benefit from a commitment to excellence in service.”

The institute builds on the U’s momentum in hands-on, entrepreneurial education. And with Utah set to host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the U is positioning itself as a model for people-first innovation on a global stage.