New JW Marriott Hotel Staff Reports for Work
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
A line of new staff members makes their way up the escalators to orientation at the JW Marriott L.A. Live on Friday morning.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — 650 new employees of the JW Marriott at L.A. Live showed up for their first day of work on Friday, Just nine days before the opening of the 879-room hotel.
They won't have much time to get settled. The hotel opens sold-out on February 15, hosting guests for concert industry event Pollstar Live.
More than 8,000 people applied for positions on the hotel staff, which will also service the Ritz Carlton hotel when it opens on March 15. Over half of those come from nearby neighborhoods thanks to local hiring rules AEG agreed to when it started out on the L.A. Live project.
At the January event that lit up the 54-story tower, Marriott President and COO Arne Sorenson said he was proud of the opportunities those new jobs could create for neighborhood hires. "Their careers are often starting with Marriott and we're proud to welcome them to the family," said Sorenson.
Floors 4 through 21 of the structure house the JW, with the 123-room Ritz Carlton occupying floors 22 through 26. Floors 27 through 52 will be the 224-unit Residences at the Ritz Carlton.
JM on February 05, 2010, at 03:13PM – #1
The hotel's looking good! I drove past last night and thought it was already open. This is a great addition to Downtown. Can't wait to have a look around.