"They were appreciative that we let them know that we have a valid contract." Marriott generally steers clear of properties facing ownership and management disputes. But the call from a senior Trump executive to the CEO of Marriott, which manages more than 6,000 hotels, raised the awkward matter of how American companies interact with a business owned by the president. Marriott, like most major international companies, has significant business and public policy interests before the Trump administration.