Marriott International, Bethesda, MD
Jenny Botero, Director, Housekeeping Operations

As a customer “since the beginning,” Jenny Botero has seen how dynamic Avendra can be. So, today, how would the woman who oversees the housekeeping, laundry, recreation and spa facilities for multiple brands and 2,600 international properties describe Avendra’s added value? “No matter what the program, they always come up with a good offering that fits our needs,” she says.

“They know that, for Marriott, it’s not always about price. As a standards-driven company, we don’t want to compromise service or warranty conditions to save on cost. They work with us to strike a balance among our priorities, and, in the end, they deliver very favorable pricing.”

Jenny also appreciates Avendra’s support on initiatives that Marriott undertakes. To help Marriott develop a more robust spa program, Avendra provided selections for behind-the-counter products ranging from towels, to spa equipment, to the lotions and potions used by aestheticians.

“They helped us identify the products for the hotels,” she recalls, “which made our properties much happier, and the transition smoother. Their input turned out to be both smart and cost effective.”

Sending the Message
Because of her position, Jenny can speak knowledgeably about the year-in, year-out performance of Ecolab, Avendra’s preferred vendor of chemicals for cleaning, laundry, pool and spa. Ecolab prides itself on its state-of-the-art products, and maintains a significant R&D operation to hold its edge.

“On several occasions, we’ve found Avendra very helpful in working with suppliers to ‘reverse engineer’ products and come up with a solution that is exactly what we need.  This is a real advantage to my group, because properties come to us when looking for cutting edge solutions - and we turn to Avendra.”

Jenny’s centralized group publishes product and service specifications which are used for procurement by the managed properties. (Franchises can also take advantage of Avendra pricing if they are Avendra customers.)

Marriott supports compliance by dedicating resources to tracking purchases and communicating Avendra’s value. “We want to make sure that people get the right product or service at the right price,” says Jenny, “So we encourage our properties to utilize all of Avendra’s purchasing programs.”