MOSCOW- The Marriot hotel chain is pulling out of Russia following two and a half decades of operations, after Western restrictions made it increasingly difficult to work there.
Back in March, shortly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the company temporarily paused their investments in Russia and closed their office in Moscow. Their lodgings stayed open, being operated by third parties.
However, their hotels will be shut down now as the company begins to permanently pull itself out of Russia.
“We have come to the view that newly announced US, UK and EU restrictions will make it impossible for Marriott to continue to operate or franchise hotels in the Russian market,” they said in a statement this week.
Marriot is one of many companies to now permanently close their operations in Russia. This includes McDonalds, Starbucks, Nissan, Goldman-Sachs, and many other companies exiting the nation and further isolating it economically.
The company will stay “focused on taking care of [their] Russian-based associates” however, helping them secure jobs with Marriot outside of Ukraine and Russia.
“We continue to join our associates and millions of people around the world in wishing for an end to the current violence and the start of a path towards peace.”
Among the hundreds of companies leaving the country, hotels were noticed for their slow response. “The process to suspend operations in a market where Marriott has operated for 25 years is complex,” the company stated in their statement, following consumer protest.
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