Tina Edmundson Drives Marriott’s Luxury Portfolio to New Heights in 2025
AS president of luxury at Marriott International, Tina Edmundson is a force to be reckoned with in the hospitality industry. With more than 35 years of experience, she has made a name for herself by successfully launching and transforming luxury brands while setting new standards for creativity, innovation and customer experience.
Tina was promoted to her current, newly created role in February 2023. She oversees Marriott’s luxury portfolio, which includes some of the most iconic names in the industry – The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, JW Marriott, and W Hotels Worldwide.
Her rise to the top of the luxury division was no accident. Her journey started in Mumbai, India, where she was raised by parents who worked in the airline industry. Her mother, an entrepreneur, opened a string of beauty salons in hotels, which exposed Tina to the hospitality business from an early age.
Though she attended beauty school in London and became a licensed hairdresser as a fallback plan, her ambition was always to enter the hotel business. After earning a finance degree from the University of Bombay, Tina moved to the U.S. to pursue her MBA in hotel and restaurant administration at the University of Houston.
She started her career with ITT Sheraton Houston, and would later move to Starwood Hotels & Resorts after it bought ITT Sheraton in 1998. During her time at Starwood, Tina held several leadership positions, including senior vice president of luxury brand operations and vice president of brand operations for W Hotels Worldwide.
Her tenure at Starwood would see her overseeing the operations of more than 100 luxury hotels, including brands like W, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection. It was here that she honed her skills in branding and operational excellence, preparing her for larger challenges at Marriott, which she joined in 2008.
In 2016, Marriott acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a move that made Marriott the largest hotel company in the world, with 30 brands and more 5,800 properties at the time. Tina was a key player in integrating the two companies. She was appointed as global brand officer and luxury portfolio leader, with a remit to lead and execute successful development of the company’s strategic growth plans.
Three years later, she was promoted as global brand and marketing officer, where she led the development and execution of all global brand and marketing strategies. Her responsibilities included overseeing the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, ensuring that Marriott’s 30 distinct hotel brands remained relevant and innovative. Under her leadership, the company launched several high-profile initiatives, including partnerships with Saks Fifth Avenue and the introduction of the concepts such as Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge.
Tina's leadership style is characterized by a willingness to take risks and embrace change. She emphasizes the importance of being “comfortable with being uncomfortable” as a key to career growth and innovation in the industry.
Now as president of luxury, Tina’s vision for the future of luxury travel is clear. She is responsible for all aspects of Marriott’s luxury strategy, from brand experience and service to operations and marketing. Under her stewardship, Marriott’s luxury division is growing rapidly, with more 500 open hotels and more than 230 in the pipeline.
In a recent interview, Tina identified three major trends shaping the future of luxury travel: wellness, sustainability and experiential travel. “Wellness travel has become so important,” she explained. “I’m not just talking about spas; I’m talking about holistic wellbeing – mind, body and soul.” Marriott’s luxury brands are increasingly catering to this demand by offering comprehensive wellness experiences. For example, the Ritz-Carlton Zadún in Cabo, Mexico, provides ancient healing rituals and mindful practices that blend seamlessly with a beach vacation.
Sustainability is another priority for Marriott, what it calls “ethical escapes”.
“Customers are interested in sustainable practices,” she noted. “They want to do business with companies that give back to the environment and the community.” She emphasized that group bookings, in particular, often come with requests for sustainability reports, incentivizing hotels to adopt greener practices to attract new business.
Highlighting the growing importance of experiential travel, Tina says customers want more than “just average F&B and a nice room; they’re looking for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.” To meet this demand, Marriott’s luxury hotels are creating unique partnerships with fashion and lifestyle brands. For instance, the W Verbier hotel in Switzerland hosted a Valentino pop-up during the Christmas season, while the St. Regis in Venice partnered with Ginori 1735 during the Venice Film Festival to create a stunning garden experience overlooking the Grand Canal.
In addition to overseeing Marriott’s existing luxury brands, Tina spearheads the company’s expansion into new areas of luxury travel. One of the most exciting developments under her leadership is the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, an ultra-luxury venture that has garnered significant attention. The first yacht, Evrima, has been sailing for more than a year, offering an all-inclusive, boutique hotel experience at sea. Tina is particularly proud of the yacht’s appeal to new cruisers, with 50 percent of guests being first-time cruise travelers.
Adventure travel is another growth area for Marriott’s luxury portfolio. The company recently opened the JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge in Kenya, its first safari-style accommodation. It plans to expand further into lodges and tented camps, as these “bucket list” experiences are becoming increasingly popular with travelers.
Tina is redefining what it means to travel in style, and as the world of luxury travel continues to evolve, she is well-positioned to guide Marriott’s luxury brands into the future.
