A Mormon farm boy from Utah, Marriott left behind the life he knew to open a root beer stand far from home in Washington, DC, in 1927. His gamble quickly paid off. He soon had a chain of family-style drive-ins up and down the US East Coast. In 1957, he opened his first hotel. This too was a great success, and today Marriott International, Inc., is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies. Why did he choose Washington, DC, as the site of his first root beer stand? Discuss