for everyone. >>> hotel icon, bill marriott handed over the reigns of his empire today. there will be no one named as marriott as ceo. this is big news today, isn't it? >> it's a big deal and a big hometown company. bill marriott is about to turn 80 years old and he is just as humble and humorous as he could be. >> employees strained to get photos as bill marriott stepped aside as ceo in north bethesda today. >> i started out as a soda jerk and through family connections, here i am. >> marriott is head of a hospitality empire that includes 660,000 hotel rooms in 72 countries. at $1.3 billion, he is one of the richest and most generous men in washington. and he really did start at a hot shop's restaurant, a chain his father built. >> that is all we had back then in 1951 was the hot shop restaurants, which are famous for old time washingtonans. i learned what it was like to be on the other side of the aisle and what it was like to work in the kitchen. how demanding it was. i loved it. >> and now to the old twin bridges motor hotel in arlington. long gone now, but the compan

we have the story. >> reporter: bill marriott jr. says he's just stepping aside, not retiring. marriott naming a new ceo addressing hundreds of employees in bethesda. >> i have been with the company 60 years in june. ceo 40 years in november. this is a good time to move on. >> reporter: there were a few laughs and fond memories shared. it was an announcement employees knew would come one day, but dreaded hearing. >> he's like a father figure to so many of us. i thought i would retire before the chairman. that didn't happen. >> reporter: the company started with a family root beer stand near the 14th street bridge. they turned it into a $10 billion 3600 hotel empire with 129,000 employees in more than 70 countries, setting the bar for hotels worldwide. >> i worked three to four days a week to learn the business. >> reporter: arne sorenson will take his place. he'll be the first nonmarriott to take the role as ceo. he'll take the title of executive chairman. >> i thought for years pity the person who tries to follow bill marriott and fill his shoes. he's a man we all love. i don't

when we come back, i'm going to tell you a remarkable story about bill marriott. was working for his dad, who founded the company. he's now handing over the reins. we're going say hi to bill when we come back. this is a special edition of "your money" from chicago. i'm good about washing my face. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. >>> you have all heard of mair yac -- marriott, the hotel company. bill marriott has been the president of that company. it was founded by his father. in march of 2012, he's stepping aside from the ceo job. the man who will become the ceo is another lifer. arnie sorenson. we're going to have a lot of opportunities to talk. given the longevities of marriott ceos. i guess we're here to celebrate our good friend bill marriott. i've been racking my brain to figure out the name of a person on a public corporat

i guess we're here to celebrate our good friend bill marriott.0 years, bill, i've been racking my brain to think about anybody else whose name is on the company of a public corporation who has been running that company like you have for this amount of time. do you have contemporaries of that sort? >> i don't think so. it is interesting, the company is 85 years old in 2012. my dad was ceo for 45 years. i've been ceo for 40 years. there have only been two of us in 85 years. that's the interesting thing, i think. >> let's talk about you and hotels. you love the hospitality industry. what's different about it from when you worked in the company with your dad over those 40 years you were ceo to today. what's the same, and what's different? >> what's the same is taking care of people. we take care of our associates so they'll take good care of the customers and they'll come back. we're providing a good room, a good bed, a nice check-in experience. it sure has gotten to be complex. the internet has made it complex. the use of computers has changed the w

bill marriott jr. is stepping aside. we have the report. [ applause ] >> reporter: bill marriott jr. is stepping aside, not retiring. they named a new ceo, addressing hundreds of employees at the headquarters. >> i have been with the company 60 years in june and ceo 40 years in november. this is a good time to move on. >> reporter: there were a few laughs and fond memories shared. it was an announcement employees knew would come but still dreaded hearing. >> he's like a father figure to so many of us. i thought i would retire before the chairman retired. that didn't happen. >> reporter: it started with a family root beer stand in washington. they opened the first hotel near the 14th bridge. it's now a 3600 hotel empire. setting the bar for hotels worldwide. >> i worked three or four days a week for four or five hours a day to learn the business. >> arty will take his place. he's chief operator. he's the first non-marriott to take the role of ceo. he's take the title of executive chairman. >> i thought for years, pity the

bill marriott is certainly one of those. today, he announced he's stepping down from a company he built. >> you wouldn't be able to tell, but this intersection is where marriott hotels got its start 85 years ago. bill marriott's parents opened a soda shop here which led to more than a dozen shops and restaurants around the area. >> when i came to work, we had no hotels. we were in the restaurant business and doing about $80 million a year in sales. we're doing $25 billion now. [laughter] there has been a little bit of growth. >> they now have hotels in 72 countries with 660,000 beds and more than a quarter million employees including 14,000 in the d.c. area. many of those employees packed the corporate headquarters this morning to honor the 79-year-old man they call mr. marriott. he is stepping down as ceo after six decades with the company. his key to success he says is never stop growing. >> more. more satisfied customers, more opportunities for our associates. >> the current c o zero will follow this travel industry legen

named as marriott as ceo. >>> i'm scott broom, bill marriott handed over the reigns of his empire today. >> i started out as a soda jerk and through family connections, here i am. >> marriott is head of a hospitality empire that includes 660,000 hotel rooms in 72 countries. at $1.3 billion in net worth, he is one of the richest and most generous men in washington. and he really did start at a hot shop's restaurant, a chain his father built. >> i learned what it was like to be on the other side of the aisle and learned what it was like to work in the kitchen, how demanding it was. >> now to the old twin bridges motor hotel in arlington, long gone now, but the company's first from this grew the iconic marriott name. the reigns are being handed over to arnie, a loyal marriott lieutenant for a decade. >> a marriott in many respects through absolute drive. it has built the modern hotel industry in the united states and around the world. >> scott broom, 9news now. >>> we just had a beautiful wednesday, especially for december. testimonies in the 50s, but our warmup comes with a tradeoff. top,

bill marriott is stepping down as ceo. >> how severely traffic is having an impact on how people shop up in sports, the redskins recognizing a rookie. the terps getting ready for >>> once again, federal workers facing the threat of another partial shutdown by friday. democrats and republicans are at odds over a part of the budget that -- >>> police shooting in prince george's county today. a man was shot and killed by police in valley park road after the man refused to put down his weapon. the police were called to the scene after the man complained about workplace issues. officers shot him after he waved his gun at them in a threatening manner. >>> newt gingrich surged to the biggest lead yet. for him, it's not all good news. he's favored by republican voters, surveys show voters, independent voters think mitt romney has a better chance of defeating president obama in the general election. >>> a nativity scene in virginia is without the most important element tonight. >> somebody stole the baby jesus out of the manger. it's not the first time he's disappeared. pat collins has the rep

bill marriott is now stepping down as the company's ceo. rents' business into an international conglomerate. the former chief operating officer will become the new ceo and marriott will become executive chairman. he plans to remain active in the company. >>> on the hill a showdown is brewing over legislation to extend the payroll tax cut and long-term jobless benefits. the house passed the bill last night, but it contains a provision requiring a construction of a pipeline from canada to texas. the bill is expected to die in the senate. the white house believes that there will be cadile before tax breaks expire at the end of the year. >>> a familiar face is leaving abc's "this week's." christianne amanpour leaving she will return to cnn where she will take on a new position for cnn international. christianne amanpour she has been the host for a year-and-a- half. she will be replaced by george stephanopoulis. we're not sure how this latest move is going to affect george's weekday schedule. that is a lot of balance. >> how would you juggle all

. >>> bill marriott jr. stepped aside as ceo wednesday. he ran the hotel chain that bears his name for close to four decades. the marriotts weren't always in hotels. the family business started with the hot shops restaurant chain where bill jr. got his start as a soda jerk. >> that's all we had back then in 1951, '52, the restaurants famous for old time washingtonians. i learned what it was like to be on the other side of the aisle and learned what it was like to work in the kitchen, how demanding it was. how much fun it was. i loved it. i loved every minute of it. >> of course, they eventually moved into the hotel business. in fact, marriott hotel chain has 660,000 hotel rooms worldwide. arnie sorenson will be taking over as ceo now. he's been a top executive for ten years. bill marriott says he will be staying on as executive chairman. >> discount grocery store aldie is expanding again. the new store opens today in cheverly, maryland at landover road. store managers are encouraging shoppers to donate canned goods during their first week

. >> bill marriott is no longer the ceo of marriott hotels. arnie sorenson, a loyal lieutenant for a decade now holds the title. marriott stepped down wednesday after years at the helm of the bethesda-based chain but he did promise to stay busy as chairman of the board. >>> coming up on 4:37, at 4:41, for the fifth year in a row, this is the most requested gift in america. >>> stress early in life could lead to allergy problems as an adult. >> we're back with your weather first in two minutes. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices... in more ways than ever. and our networks are getting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit... with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. >>> 4:39 on this thursday morning. you know, we've got a mild start to the day. we're in the 40s right now. we're going to get into t

bill marriott tells washingtonian magazine the restaurant will be brought back innear the convention one closed in 1999. marriott says the menu will include the classic mighty mo, a triple-decker hamburger. >>> jessica doyle is back and she has a special "your money" report. >> it is time to pop the corks, jessica says. time to celebrate. >> 'tis the somebody to raise a glass -- 'tis the season to raise a glass or two or three of the bubbly. all of our economic problems may not be completely behind us but it looks like we're willing to spend a little bit more to make the magical moments even more magical. >> looking for a little luxury, consumers are popping the cork on champagne again. sales are popping, too. >> in the beginning of this year, we're up 22%. >> sam heighter in is the director of the u.s. champagne bureau. more and more americans are drinking wine and more are drinking wines from quality regions. >> the good news for washingtonians, it has gotten easier to find quality bubbly at the corner store. >> over the last ten years, the food and wine community has grown. there

bill marriott jr. has led the company which bears his name for more than three decades. he's not retiring. he'll become chief executive chairman of the marriott hotel chain. >>> the d.c. taxicab commission has approved a fare hike. no word when it will take effect. you'll still pay $3 to start the ride but instead of $1.50 a mile, it will soon be $2.16 a mile. the fuel surcharge and extra passenger fees will be dropped. >>> time to answer our question of the morning. this was the question. seven out of ten of us plan to do this every weekend. is it a, go to a movie. b, catch up on sleep or c, check your work e-mails. >> i figured it might be there. the answer is c. we plan to check the work e-mails. maybe we don't actually do it. we plan to do it. >> plan is the keyword. >> i plan it and sometimes i execute the plan. >> not always. >> one more check on traffic and weather when 9news now returns. >>> one more thing today. saw this on facebook. it happened in october coming out of alaska. there was a posting there, the second chance ranch out of washington state. this guy w

, mitt romney sat on marriott's board of directors for years and has the support of former ceo bill marriott. >>> on april 30th, a trial date has been set for the female frostburg state university student charged with killing another student. the suspect, 23-year-old shanay liggins made her first court appearance. her bond was set at $350,000. she's charged with first-degree murder in the death of 19-year- old courtney mccoy of baltimore. she was stabbed to death last month at an off-campus party. liggins says someone else stabbed mccoy. >> the latest int dent did not involve the system's rail cars. it forced metro to shut down the blue and orange lines and stranding hundreds of passengers underground. 9news now reporter surae chinn is live at the len fant plaza station with more on the story. >> reporter: good morning, andrea. this was a frightening ordeal for many and passengers complained a lot has to do with the lack of communication. agod for a good 20 to 30 minutes, they weren't told what was going on. the lights are out, the power is out and you're in an underground tunnel. that's wha

bill marriott is not retiring altogether. he's going to become executive chairman of the worldwide hotel chain that bears his name. marriott is handing off the day to day duties of ceo to arnie sorenson. marriott headquarters is on democracy boulevard in bethesda. >>> here is another sign the weak economy is hurting holiday sales. according to a nationwide survey, 6% of those who celebrate christmas say they'll wait until january to do most of their holiday shopping. they say they simply won't be able to afford most of the gifts they would want to give until those after christmas sales kick in. now, if you are shopping before christmas, you'll be able to do it almost around the clock at 14 macy's stores. those stores will open for 83 hours straight starting december 21st. most of the stores are on the east coast and in the midwest including the one at tysons corner center in virginia. >> the d.c. teen that won a national championship gets honors from the mayor. that story is coming up. >> coming up as well, donald trump backs