Charles “Chuck” Marshall, founder and chairman emeritus of Marshall Hotels & Resorts, died unexpectedly Dec. 27 at age 74, following complications related to a stroke.
Marshall founded the company in 1980 at a time when third-party hotel management was in its infancy. Beginning initially as a developer/syndicator with three hotels, he expanded the company to more than 60 hotels and resorts ranging from upper upscale to limited service. Following a significant shift in tax laws in the late 1980s, Marshall turned his company’s attention to full-time third-party management. The company today is ranked in the United States as the 40th largest overall management company and is in the top 10 of the solely third-party management companies.
Marshall worked his way through Oklahoma State University as a cook in area restaurants and hotels. Upon earning a degree in hotel and restaurant management, he began his 50-year-plus hospitality management career as an assistant general manager of the Golden Ox restaurant in Kansas City.
He entered the hotel industry at age 24 as a general manager of a Ramada Inn in Wichita Falls, Texas. Over his career, he received numerous awards for operating excellence, including Sheraton’s “Manager of the Year” and the “Distinguished Achievement Award” from the International Franchise Association. Hotels managed by the company continue to consistently win awards from brands for operating excellence.
Marshall is survived by his wife, Dee, who led the company’s marketing efforts for more than three decades; son Mike, who is president of Marshall Hotels & Resorts, daughter Joanne, son Kenny, as well as seven grandchildren.
