Think of all the good that 300,000 copies of the Book of Mormon can do: "There are many guests who are not digitally connected who appreciate having one or both of these books available,” Marriott told AP in a statement. “It’s a tradition appreciated by many, objected to by few.” To read a remarkable conversion story of someone who found Latter-day Saint literature in a hotel room, click here.
Sheraton, Westin, and other Starwood hotels are finding their religion.
Marriott International, which bought Starwood two years ago, has begun putting copies of the Bible and the Book of Mormon in the recently-acquired hotels. By year's end, it expects to place the books in 300,000 rooms.
Marriott, whose namesake founding family is active in the [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint], has been putting both the Bible and the Book of Mormon in its rooms since opening its first hotel in the late 1950s. Like most major chains, Marriott doesn't own the majority of its hotels. However, it stands out from the other companies by requiring — in franchise or licensing agreements — its 6,500 properties to have the books in each room.