Marriott Interview Questions & Tips

Applying for Marriott Jobs

Marriott ranks as one of the most prominent hotel companies in the United States. The international hospitality company boasts just over 500 locations. In order to gain employment with Marriott, workers must either submit contact and hiring information to desired locations, online via the company website, or attend job fairs in which the company hosts onsite job interviews. The avenue most commonly taken by candidates involves submitting hiring materials online.

Entry-level Interview Procedures

Entry-level workers often take part in initial phone interviews followed by face-to-face meetings. Marriott hiring managers generally ask numerous interview questions during the in-person employment sessions. Applicants should arrive to interviews ready to spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour speaking with attending representatives.

Management Positions

The Marriott interview process for managerial candidates often takes multiple months to complete, with a great deal of downtime in-between interviews for deliberation purposes. Marriott usually puts candidates through two or three interviews, at least. Many of the job interviews feature panel formats along with one-to-one formats. A good deal of the interview questions posed to aspiring managerial workers requires STAR method responses, or Situation, Task, Action, Result. Applicants are given certain situations and must then state how to approach the event, what actions to take, and possible results of each action proposed.

Ideal Applicant Characteristics

Applicants looking for work at Marriott must demonstrate and embody solid customer service skills, with special attention to hospitality, attentiveness, and general discretion. Due to the setting of most jobs, conflict resolution may play as an important part of gaining employment as ability to work in a friendly and expedited manner.

Interview Behavior

During the Marriott hiring process, workers should attend each interview session with a positive attitude and dressed in respectable and appropriate attire. Setting a professional tone early and maintaining an engaging demeanor may set applicants apart from other workers.

Process Takes 2-3 Weeks

From the initial phone interview to final employment offers, Marriott job seekers spend about two or three weeks vying for available positions. Rolling demand for workers based on turnover typically controls the flow of the interview process at hotels. Workers should remain patient and wait to hear back from hiring personnel between each interview and following the final session. If several weeks pass with no word from Marriott, applicants should then contact a representative to check on hiring status.

Marriott Banquet Chef Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer:
Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Marriott, I was a banquet chef, and banquet chefs, we would come in and do the big recipes, so we’re cooking in very large bulks. We cater big parties.

Marriott Banquet Chef:
My duties would be to stock the pots. Basically. I don’t know how to explain. Like cook large volumes of food. Same thing. Chopping meats, chopping veggies, checking temps, making sure that you store your food at the right temperatures. Ingredients, make sure you pay attention to the ingredients.

Marriott Banquet Chef:
What else? Setting up banquet-style food settings. Like make sure you brought some burners, chaffers, extra utensils. What else? Basic safe serve rules. Like make sure you’re washing your hands, and washing your stations, wrapping your food, things like that.

Interviewer:
What was the work environment like?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Diverse. Very diverse. They have chefs from everywhere, so the kitchen is a great learning place. The best thing I liked about the banquet chef position was the culinary. They do French culinary, so you have so many different backgrounds, and cooking, and everybody has their own flair. It’s really nice.

Interviewer:
What was your favorite part about working there?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Learning. The learning part. Everything was pretty much cool. The work hours were great. The pay would be great. The only thing was my transportation. It was really far out. But everything was pretty awesome.

Interviewer:
Please describe the application and interview process.

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Okay. The application process was a walk-in application. Came in, filled out an application. I seen a manager in maybe a couple of hours. I sat for a little while, but it’s understandable. It’s a big chain, and they work hard, so two hours I waited, got an interview. The interview was probably 30 minutes, and it was basic personal information, just background. It wasn’t really too much training. They just wanted to hear personal experiences that you went through.

Marriott Banquet Chef:
After the first interview, you’re going to receive a second phone call. Second phone call would be for the second interview. There’s three interviews. The second interview you would come in, and then they’ll ask you to, that’s your background, your training background. Do you have any experiences? Where have you worked before?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Then your third interview will be hands on. They want you to come in and prepare a plate. They’ll give you three items that they want you to prepare, go back, put them together, and then they’ll taste them. Maybe a day later I got the offer back through email. It’s kind of comprehensive, but it’s all worth it.

Interviewer:
What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Interview questions. Nothing out of the ordinary. Regular questions. What’s your strengths? What’s your weaknesses? What could you do to improve on your weaknesses?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
What kind of assessment? What’s the assessment? Goodness. It’s an assessment test they give you, like you would use at McDonald’s. Just questions of situations like, “If Johnny was stealing, would you tell the manager? Would you keep it on the hush? Would you tell Johnny to stop this?” Just things of that nature.

Interviewer:
How were you notified that you received the job?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
It was about two days later. I got a call, maybe maximum two days later.

Interviewer:
What set you apart from other candidates?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
My willingness to learn. I wasn’t quite confident in my skills. I was basically just starting, but I think they seen that I had great work ethic, and my willing to learn things new. I was a great learner, right on. Quick learner. Ask me any questions. If I didn’t know it, I’ll find the answer. I think that’s what got me. I didn’t know something, and I came back with the answer to the next interview and it surprised them. Like, “We thought you would just say like, ‘I don’t know.’ And then didn’t do the leg work to figure it out.” I think my willingness to do whatever it took was what got me in there.

Interviewer:
What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

Marriott Banquet Chef:
Come with some experience. Before you go, try to learn some culinary techniques, some French culinary techniques. Just to wow them. You know, little rule, or show them how to make a souffle, or tell them just you know some things. That’s a good tip. They love that. I would use that for anyone seeking that job. It’s great benefits, great hours, flexible pay, I mean flexible days. You can get holiday shifts off. The environment is awesome. If you don’t know something, they will show you. Just ask.

Marriott Restaurant Hostess Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer:
Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
I was a hostess at the restaurant that was in the Marriott and so we did a lot of in-room dining and then a lot of the people would come in and eat the breakfast when everything got busy in the morning and at night and when it got crazy downtown.

Interviewer:
What was the work environment like?

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
I really like it. Everyone is super kind but it does get really busy sometimes. But throughout the years it changed depending on the management but as management got better, a lot of people were more like team workers and it’s a lot more smooth, you get a lot more rewards and for doing well. So a lot more people like to work and stay and so I think it’s fun and upbeat, you do a lot there and it’s not too boring.

Interviewer:
What was your favorite part about working there?

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
My favorite part is just talking to all types of people that come in from many different places from around the world honestly. We have a lot of celebrities come in too, which is pretty cool part of the job but mostly just talking to normal people from out of town.

Interviewer:
Please describe the application and interview process.

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
So for when I went in, we had open interviews so they had me sit at a computer and it was about 15 minutes for an application and they didn’t really have me do a resume or anything, but they had me talk and it was very calming I guess you’d say. They’re very personal people so they would just talk to me normal, not super over me or anything. They just talk to me like a normal person and it was really easy and it didn’t make me too nervous or anything.

Interviewer:
What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
They ask obvious ones like why do you want to work here? What makes you someone we’d want to hire? That’s always a big one because you don’t want to be too in their face about what you can do and then they also ask about what your weaknesses are and you have to be more honest but don’t put yourself down but don’t be like, “I don’t have a weakness.” So it’s hard to find a middle, but that’s a very popular question on a lot of interviews.

Interviewer:
How were you notified that you received the job?

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
It took them a little while, which was making me nervous because I needed a job at the time but they sent out an email and then eventually called me because their systems were down or something wasn’t working, but it took maybe three or four weeks after the interview for me to know I got the job and then a few weeks after to get me started, so a total of 6 weeks.

Interviewer:
What set you apart from other candidates?

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
I think I was really smiley and upbeat. I came prepared too, so I came ready for the questions they were going to ask me, stuff like that. Then I related to them with the activities I like to do outside of work and everything. So they got to talk to me and be more personable. I think a lot of employers like people who are personable and easy to talk to.

Interviewer:
What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

Marriott Restaurant Hostess:
I would practice smiling in the mirror because a lot of people like smiles. I guess you’d say, just work on how you present yourself to people is the biggest thing. Try not to act nervous, just practice in the mirror over and over again so you’re more comfortable with what you’re saying and you’re not stuttering and stuff like that.

Marriott Laundry Attendant Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Marriott Laundry Attendant: I was a laundry person. They’d bring all the dirties down and we had to wash and fold. It was a pretty fun detail, but it was strenuous too because we had changed over from one set of linen to a new set of linen. So, it’s like 300 some rooms we had to change over. It was tiresome, but everything went to white so that’s what we had to do.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?

Marriott Laundry Attendant: It was just me and another girl, so it was always just the two of us in there. What you hear come down to chute, that’s about only noise you got. She didn’t talk much because she had her headphones on, because it’s so quiet in there. So, if you don’t hear the machines running, you just hear laundry dropping down. That’s what it was.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?

Marriott Laundry Attendant: The money. The money, the perks. Say for instance you might not have money to get to work, you was always able to buy a bus pass and they took it out your paycheck for you. And you can relocate. Because there was so many Marriotts in different cities, you can relocate to any Marriott that was hiring.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.

Marriott Laundry Attendant: They asked me how much experience I had. I told them how much experience I had. If I was hired, what would I bring to the table? And I just told them customer service and great quality work. She asked me how soon can I start it and I said soon as possible.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?

Marriott Laundry Attendant: I had experience, and at the time one of the young ladies came through and told me they was hiring. I ran over there real quick and I put in an application. I just had the interview the same day and got hired the same day.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

Marriott Laundry Attendant: Always be open. Always give eye contact. And if you don’t know the question to something, ask.

Marriott Banquet Manager Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Marriott Employee: I am in banquets for the Courtyard. My primary duties would be when they had big parties, weddings… the last one I did was a soccer event, and there were over 200 people that rented the party room. We set all of the tables before the party arrived and made sure their drinks were full when they were there, cleared plates. We didn’t really serve them. It was like a buffet style, so they got their own food. But in some events sometimes you will serve, from the right, and take the food from the left when they’re done.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Marriott Employee: It was very nice, very casual. People are very down to earth, but it’s fast-paced. It’s busy. You have to like the environment and kind of thrive for that. For four hours straight, you’re just work, work, and work. Then, once they’re all gone, you get to relax and cleanup.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Marriott Employee: Busy. Busy, demanding because you have to do what your duties are. You can’t just be like, “Well, I need to go do this. I need to make a phone call.” You’re required for four hours, or however long. Once the people get their food, you can kind of relax for a little bit, but until that point, you’re pretty much on high demand.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Marriott Employee: The application is just your standard application you fill out for any kind of job. The interview process… she kind of seeked me out. She called me, and I did one banquet as a one-time thing, and she said, “We want to put you on when people call off or we don’t have anybody. We want to call you. We like the way you work.” She pursued me, I would say. I said, “Okay, what do you want me to do?”, and I came in, filled out all the papers. She was supposed to meet me there, but her supervisor was there instead. I filled out all the paperwork, and that was basically it. They wanted me. It wasn’t like I didn’t want the job, it was just the way they were after me.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Marriott Employee: Well, the night I did it, it was kind of a trial thing. They wanted to see if I had any experience in the restaurant or waitressing-type business. Or banquets, preferably banquets. I had waitressed for nine years, so I had been around food. Things like that, like experience I had. My availability, things like that.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Marriott Employee: In the banquets department, I would suggest… there’s a lot of people coming in saying, “I need these many hours.” I think you should just put your foot in the door, and you should tell them, “Look, just try me out for a night, and if I don’t seem to be what you’re looking for, you can let me go.” When you do work, be good. Be really good. Do your job; do it well. That’s just my whole work ethic. You do things you’re not asked to do. That makes a good impression.

Marriott Hotels Cook Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Marriott Hotels Cook: My job title was cook. Primary duties were prepping, making prep lists, cleaning up, making sure the equipment was operational, getting ready for days, knowing the business, knowing how to prep for different days, slower versus faster days, naturally what’s faster, what’s slower. My primary job was to cook food.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Marriott Hotels Cook: The application process started on the Internet. Some places have actually I think, almost eliminated the paper application. I think that Marriot is kind of leading the way on that of being green. That’s a big thing that they do. I went on the Internet looking at like H-Careers or Career-Builder, and they’ll have something from Marriott, “Let’s call them,” what have you. Then you would apply, pasting your resume or recreating it on their website, and then sending your application forward. You have a questionnaire you fill out after you finish doing the application. I think it’s kind of like a profiler. I guess if you give the correct responses, you’ll get a call. If you don’t give the correct responses or get the right answer so to speak, then you won’t get a call. I was fortunate enough to fill out applications and fill out that application and be able to get a call back. I got a call back, went in to do an interview. Went to H … Got dressed, my suit, shaved, everything, go in, talked to HR, they get the manager that I’m supposed to talk to. I go and talk to the manager telling him what I’ve done, what I’m doing, and I plan on doing, where I see myself in the next few years, what my background is, where I came from, and all of those things. Then usually he has me come … Well, that day he had me come back for a cooking demonstration. A demonstration of the skills that I have, which was like about a week later. I go in and he says, “I want a small dice, large dice, Chiffonade, and then I want you to cook something for me.” “You can pretty much walk around, look at what we have and then just give me whatever you’re going to cook, a little list of whatever you’re going to cook.” I was demonstrating the knife skills, and half way through he is like, “Okay stop,” because you can pretty much tell if somebody knows what they’re doing or not. He’s like, “Okay, you don’t need to do that. Just cook me a starch, a vegetable … An appetizer, a salad, a starch, a vegetable, and excuse me … Meat, protein and vegetables all on like a plate up,” and that’s it. I made a salad, I cooked some chicken and some rice and some vegetables, and got the job.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Marriott Hotels Cook: When they apply for a job, be more open to new experiences. Don’t go in looking for any specific things, like if you’re just coming out of school, don’t look for things to be like a school house. Look forward to learning a lot from the Marriot because they do have a lot to offer people, and you will gain a wealth of knowledge working for that organization. Just always keep trying to move forward. That would be my advice.

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Related Links:

Marriott Application
Marriott Housekeeper