Available via iTunes and SoundCloud, each episode is hosted by Marc Graser, Editor-In-Chief of Traveler, and Megan Nadolski, Marriott’s Global Design Manager, and features a specific theme that the co-hosts will discuss with the best talent working in the hotel industry. For the premiere episode, Bill Marriott, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Marriott International, discusses the purpose of the hotel lobby, including the history of how Marriott designed its first one in Texas and what bothers him the most when he walks into a hotel.

Joining Mr. Marriott as guests for the first episode are Lionel Sussman, Vice President Marriott Global Design Strategies, and Derek Brown, a leading spirits and cocktail expert. They’ll further discuss the evolution of lobbies, and the struggle to create a cohesive experience in a space with so much activity, while also working with so many different people and opinions.

“We want to have real conversations with the creative minds behind the spaces we see every time we stay at a hotel,” says Graser. “Hearing the thought process that goes into designing hotels is fascinating, and we hope ‘Behind the Design’ will help put a spotlight on the little details that often go unnoticed, but are key to making a property special. The hotel lobby was a great place to start.”

“Behind the Design” will premiere a new episode each month. The second episode will focus on art. What makes great art for a hotel and why is it often so bad? Other episodes will tackle the latest innovation in bathrooms and in-room menus, why closets are now so passe, and how hotels choose the perfect bed.

“We have all these great design stories that just haven’t been told,” say Nadolski. “‘Behind the Design’ is our way of telling them. We’re letting people in on our thinking.”

To read the Traveler franchise that inspired the new podcast and learn more about hotel style and design, visit here: http://traveler.marriott.com/behind-the-design/

About Marriott Traveler

Marriott Traveler brings the world’s greatest destinations to life through compelling storytelling, enlisting locals to share what makes their cities special, from culinary to culture, while introducing unique personalities and experiences that give a place its voice and reasons worth a visit. At Marriott Traveler, we are why we travel. It’s the lens through which Marriott TRAVELER explores the world. Why a city is special always comes down to the unique personalities that bring a destination to life and make us feel welcome. It’s in the food they cook, the cocktails they create, the music they make, the architecture that transforms a neighborhood. People provide the reason to experience a place for the first time or to return for new adventures. Marriott Traveler tells their stories at http://traveler.marriott.com

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is the world’s largest hotel company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with over 6,000 properties in more than 120 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts. The company’s 30 leading brands include: Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton and The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis, W, EDITION, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection, Marriott Hotels, Westin, Le Méridien, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments, Marriott Vacation Club, Autograph Collection Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels, Gaylord Hotels, Courtyard, Four Points by Sheraton, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft, Element, Moxy Hotels, and Protea Hotels by Marriott. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott R ewards, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest.