The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Resort (Continued)

Thursday 15th May 2014, during my on-line Company Research into the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Resort, I became aware of an article written by journalist Nancy Trejos for the USA Today newspaper.

- Nancy Trejos writes in her article DISPATCHES 10:37 AM EST, January 17th, 2014, a full report in her column AAA chooses Five Diamond hotels, restaurants for 2014. The full 13 page article highlights and lists all the new, downgraded and properties without a rating. On page 3 she writes; "Two hotels, The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia, and the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman 'Lost' their Five Diamond Award**status and were placed on the FYI category. They are included in AAA Guidebooks but 'Without A Rating'". When I viewed the complete list of Five Diamond Award hotels for the Caribbean on page 8 of the DISPATCHES report, there were only six hotel properties designated with this status, and the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman was 'Not' included as one of those six Caribbean hotel properties ?

It appears that upon the annually released 'Official Membership Ratings' for the AAA Five and Four Diamond Awards to Hotels and Restaurants on Friday 17th January 2014, clearly the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Resort was 'Not' illustrated upon either of these new AAA Membership lists, and indeed had 'Lost' its AAA Five Diamond Award**stature ?

**This contradicted what we as new employees were told by the General Manager Mr Marc Langevin and members of his Senior Management team during our three day Ritz-Carlton orientation, 18th to 20th February 2014. Mr Langevin had specifically stated during his oration on Tuesday 18th February, that the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman attained the AAA Five Diamond Award**status. Furthermore, he added the ramifications if the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman was indeed downgraded to a Four Diamond Award property, or worse still, unrated! Continuing, Mr Langevin mentions that a downgrading would significantly impact the attractiveness of the Resort to its accustomed high caliber, discerning Ritz-Carlton Rewards Members and repeat guests. Likewise, this downgrading would also reduce and diminish the high premium guest rates and charges imposed by the hotel, particularly during Grand Cayman's high-season. The Senior Management team in this regard, have thus been deceptive and untruthful in their nature to mislead both the Ritz-Carlton paying guest and the company work personnel, as the hotel property had 'Not' attained the AAA Five Diamond Award**status as attributed throughout the entirety of the 2014 season ?

- Initial verification to the above is established forthwith when I contact directly the AAA National Headquarters in Heathrow, Florida on two separate occasions. The first confirmation to the Nancy Trejos article in the USA Today newspaper is given clarity when speaking with Media Specialist Heather Hunter of the AAA Public Relations department (1-407-444-8005). Heather states that the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman is 'Not' listed when she viewed the Official AAA 2014 Fact Sheet, validating all the new AAA Five and Four Diamond Award Hotels and Restaurants during the time period, Friday 17th January to Wednesday 31st December 2014 ?

- The second confirmation is established when recontacting the AAA National Headquarters in Heathrow, Florida. Conversing on this occasion with Specialist Mr Bob Hoffman of the AAA Tourism Information Development department (1-407-444-8000). Mr Hoffman's expertise is with AAA Inspections and Diamond Ratings for Hotels and Restaurants, and he too confirmed that the 2014 Official AAA Five and Four Diamond Awards lists did not show the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Resort upon either list ?

- Finally, having acquired the evidence of the USA Today newspaper article and the dual AAA National Headquarter confirmations, I notify the Corporate Offices of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, at the Chevy Chase Headquarters, Maryland, and converse with Mr Bob Kharazmi, the Ritz-Carlton Global Officer Worldwide Operations (1-301-547-4774). Mr Kharazmi reiterated to what I had ascertained, that the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman is an 'Unrated' hotel property with 'No' AAA Diamond Awards, and is 'Not' listed as one of the Official 22 Ritz-Carlton hotel properties with AAA Five Diamond Award** status, or one of the 14 Ritz-Carlton hotel properties with AAA Four Diamond Award status for the year 2014 ?

- Contacting the Corporate Offices of Marriott International Inc. in Bethesda, Maryland, I converse with Mary Ann Kelly, the Corporate Liaison Officer (1-800-621-0999), to the office of Mr J. W. 'Bill' Marriott Jr, Executive Chairman, and Mr Arne Sorenson, President and CEO of Marriott International Inc. I inform her that upon recent company research, the analysis showed that my employer the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Resort was indeed 'Not' recognized as a AAA Five Diamond Award** hotel property, and that the hotel Senior Management team maintained an aura of deception in this regard to both the Ritz-Carlton guests and the Company work personnel during the 2014 season.

The Ownership of Marriott International Inc. Mr John Willard 'Bill' Marriott Jr, Executive Chairman is informed of this deception by the Senior Management team at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Resort.

Mr Arne Sorenson President and CEO of Marriott International Inc. is informed at the Marriott International Headquarters, Bethesda, Maryland.