Marriott Services puts success down to branding

Marriott Services has chalked up contract wins worth £14.5m in annual turnover in the past three months.

The firm, launched in the UK only last year following Marriott group's acquisition of contractors Taylorplan and Russell & Brand, claims its success is largely due to the strength of the Marriott brand name.

The biggest single win, worth £8.5m a year in turnover, came through the company's hospital contracts division, Marriott Healthcare Services.

This five-year deal, with private medical group Columbia Healthcare, involves the provision of hotel services at six sites in central London, including the Portland and Wellington hospitals. The contract starts next week.

"The Columbia deal has been primarily driven by them wanting us," claimed Tim Cookson, Marriott Services' managing director. "Columbia and Marriott have a partnership arrangement in the USA."

But Mr Cookson added: "We had to be competitive. It would be wrong to infer we were handed it on a plate."

Services at the hospitals were formerly provided by an in-house team, which also put in a bid, as did Gardner Merchant.

At the same time, the company's Ministry of Defence division has scooped five-year deals at two RAF bases.

The first contract, at RAF High Wycombe, will turn over £1.5m a year. Marriott will provide full hotel services, including 1,500 meals a day.

The second deal is at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria. Both contracts were won as part of a bidding alliance with transport contractor Ryder and facilities management firm Building & Property.