A Marriott Icon Steps Back: Javier Cano's Take on Nearly 50 Years in Hospitality

At the end of August, Javier Cano, Area General Manager, Los Angeles for Marriott International, will retire after a career that began in 1977 behind the front desk of the Siesta Motel in San Antonio, Texas. Jeff Higley caught up with him outside the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE to look back on nearly five decades in the industry.

Cano started with Marriott 47 years ago as an employee of the company's 63rd hotel; Marriott has since grown past 10,000 properties worldwide. He points to technology as the single biggest shift he's witnessed. From hard keys and paper rate cards (the literal origin of "rack rate") to today's systems, but says the fundamentals of the job haven't changed: staying humble, listening to guests, and treating every stay as important to the person taking it.

Asked about his proudest accomplishment, Cano doesn't point to an award. He proudly recalls the number of people he's mentored into general manager roles across the country, calling it one of the things he'll miss most. Even as he prepares to exit, he's fielding a steady stream of calls asking for advice, and he credits ALIS itself as one of the relationships he's valued most across his career.

Watch the full conversation for Cano's advice on handling upset guests, what he sees as the biggest change in the GM role today, and his take on staying "well-rounded" in an increasingly complex job.