Here’s How A Westin Became Basketball All-Star Grant Hill’s Favorite Hotel

With March Madness 2022 under way, Marriott is courtside again in its sixth year as the Official Hotel Partner of the NCAA. Also this season, NBA All-Star Grant Hill is involved in a Marriott promotion featuring him in a TV spot that aired earlier this month.

Also in March, at the Moxy NYC Downtown, Hill spoke at a media event not only about NCAA and Marriott but also his travel experiences.

Joined by Brian Povinelli, Marriott’s senior vice president of brand, loyalty and portfolio marketing, Hill discussed his connections to Marriott throughout his life.

Growing up in Virginia, Hill recalled his father, Calvin Hill, bringing him to the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington to tailgate with other Washington Redskins team members’ families.

“And it’s pretty sad that I remember the tailgate more than the games,” said Grant. “But that was sort of when I think I was first introduced to the brand and to Marriott.”

Grant also reflected on how traveling has connected to his years playing in the NCAA Tournament while attending Duke, then later on in the NBA, and now being on the road as a sportscaster.

“To me, it’s like wow, this is an honor and a privilege for me, to be able to amplify the message to get out there,” said Hill. “In terms of [Marriott’s] association with something else that’s important to me—the NCAA Tournament—I think it’s a no brainer.”

Marriott’s Brian Povinelli brought up Marriott’s properties within the cities where the 2022 NCAA Tournament is taking place; they include the men’s games in New Orleans. “We feel that we can offer great accommodations and experiences wherever someone might be traveling to watch or participate in their NCAA sports,” Povinelli said.

Povinelli also explained that Marriott’s 30 hotel brands are positioned to suit every type of sports fan. For example, the Moxy NYC Downtown, where this briefing took place, contains a half-sized basketball court where guests can shoot hoops. Via the rewards program, Marriott Bonvoy Memories offers members the opportunity to bid on elite luxury experiences including sports-related ones.

Hill travels much for business, in particular in his role as the men’s national team managing director for USA Basketball. “I love New York; I love the energy,” he said as one of his favorite travel spots. “One of the destinations that I look forward to. I love this Pacific Northwest, which the NBA had a presence in Seattle and Vancouver, which we no longer have.”

As for a travel tip, Hill said that he folds and packs clothes in a dry cleaning plastic bag to prevent them from getting wrinkled. In terms of what makes for a good hotel stay, Hill answered “a good room service dining experience is something that I enjoy,” along with a friendly staff that can handle requests or provide local recommendations.

“I pretty much even now I travel once a week,” Grant said. “But I love to be able to just be in my room and watch TV, read a book and eat. I’m easy to please.”

Asked if he has a favorite hotel that he looks forward to staying at, Hill shared how the Westin Indianapolis is close to him. He stayed there first as a high school student during McDonald’s All American Games. A year later, as a Duke freshman, the Final Four NCAA Tournament game happened in Indianapolis, and the team stayed at the same Westin. Then for his first NCAA broadcast alongside sports announcer Jim Nance, Hill returned to that Westin.

For this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, Hill picked Duke for the men and Baylor for the women.