Keep in mind that a bunch of different companies can be involved with a single hotel:

• The REIT, pension fund, or other entity that owns the real estate;
• The company that "owns" the hotel, leasing it from the real estate owner;
• The company that manages the hotel operations;
• Various providers to whom parts of the operations are outsourced, such as housekeeping, valet parking, and the restaurant operations;
• Let's not forget partnerships and joint ventures;
• And, finally, the company whose brand is on the building.

The only one of those that really matters is the final one.

If the sign says Westin or Marriott or St. Regis or Renaissance or Element or Autograph Collection or any other Marriott brand, then Marriott International is ultimately responsible. The hotel's physical attributes, operations, and elite benefits should comply with brand standards and the guest-facing Terms & Conditions. It's up to Marriott International to communicate standards and expectations to hotels and guests, to enforce those standards, and to provide a process for failures to be identified and corrected promptly.

The vast majority of Marriott's 6700+ hotels comply. Those that don't are damaging their brands, alienating guests, and ultimately hurting Marriott's bottom line.

Marriott could do more to fix this.