Marriott going strong in China

Sorenson described Marriott's relationship with Chinese partners as "very good".

"Every single hotel we have in China is owned by our Chinese partner, so we do nothing in China without our Chinese partners, and many of them thankfully have done a number of hotels with us," he said, adding that Marriott does not own any hotel even in the US.

With bullish market prospects in China, Marriott International has also seen an increasing number of its leadership taken by Chinese.

"I think 10 years ago, maybe even five years ago, many of our general managers were gweilo (a Cantonese term for foreigners, especially Westerners), and I think today a significant number of our general managers in China are Chinese," he said.

The Netherlands-based Top Employers Institute certified Marriott International as one of the Top Employers in China in 2015 for the fourth year in a row.

Sorenson said his dream is for Marriott to be as strong in China as it is in the US.

"I would like for our brands to be viewed as Chinese brands, as much as anything else," he said.