American multinational hotel chain Marriott International plans to open up to one hotel per day in the U.S. in the coming year despite President Donald Trump's planned controversial visa controls and wider economic uncertainty.
Chief executive Arne Sorenson told CNBC Monday that the short-lived ban on seven Muslim-majority countries has so far had little visible impact on business and it will continue ahead with plans to grow its operations in the U.S.
His comments come as President Trump is expected to issue a new ban on visas. White House officials have said that the new executive order aims to overcome legal challenges to the first which was blocked by the federal appeals court last month.
"The US economy, while modestly growing, has been growing year after year so we will open quite a few hotels in the U.S., probably about one a day … maybe a bit less than that," said Sorenson.
Marriott International has felt the pressure from a stronger dollar, which has rallied under the new president, impacting inbound tourism to the U.S. and, ultimately, reporting figures. However, this has been offset by U.S. tourists taking advantage of currency drops elsewhere, said Sorenson.
"That's one of the advantages of being a global player – you get to be on both ends of that trade."
The group, which recently acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts, is currently operating in 115 countries and opening a new hotel every 15 hours, said Sorenson, with China set to be its second biggest growth market after the U.S.