"There are many guests who are not digitally connected who appreciate having one or both of these books available. It's a tradition appreciated by many, objected to by few," Marriott said in a statement.

Marriott did not respond to a request for comment.

World's largest hotelier

Marriott International took over Starwood two years ago in a $US13.6 billion deal that solidified Marriott's ranking as the world's largest hotelier. The deal meant Marriott operated 1.1 million rooms around the world and generated nearly $US20 billion in annual revenue.

The deal brought 30 brands – including Starwood's St Regis, Sheraton and W Hotels – under the Marriott umbrella.

The hotel chain has stocked its rooms with the Bible and the Book of Mormon since opening its first hotel in the 1950s. Alamy Stock Photo

The Starwood brand was expected to boost Marriott's international presence, rewards programs and popularity among younger travellers.

Hotels have provided Bibles in their rooms since the late 19th century. The practice was boosted when three travelling businessmen set out to spread the Gospel one hotel room at a time. The men founded Gideons International in 1899 and have distributed more than 2 billion Bibles and New Testaments.


Gideons International supplies Marriott with the Bibles for free.

Fading practice

More recently, hotels in the US have gradually moved away from placing religious materials inside rooms, according to a 2016 survey from the data and analytics firm STR. In 2006, 95 per cent of hotels provided religious texts in their rooms. Ten years later, only 79 per cent did.

A deal two years ago brought 30 brands - including Starwood's St Regis, Sheraton and W Hotels - under the Marriott umbrella.

The practice also varies by hotel type. According to STR, 57 per cent of luxury hotels put religious materials in their rooms in 2016. That's compared to 89 per cent of economy hotels and 80 per cent of budget hotels.

Hyatt has no "brand standard" requiring religious texts in guest rooms, the company said. Hilton also has no company-wide mandate, the hotel chain said, and individual decisions on whether religious materials are provided in rooms is up to each property. IHG, whose brands include Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, said its franchisees are independently owned and operated and can offer Bibles to guests if they choose.

Marriott is one of the few international hotel chains of its size to provide religious materials in its hotel rooms "by default", said Mark Meng, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at Indiana University Kokomo.

Given Marriott's dominance across the globe, Meng said the chain would be hard pressed to include the texts in all parts of the world out of respect for various religions and cultures.

Meng said that many hotel chains have stopped placing holy books in rooms – unless customers specifically ask for them – to target Millennials who are less likely to be religious compared to older generations. Meng noted that Marriott recently backed away from providing religious materials at some of its hotels, including within its Moxy and Edition Hotel brands that cater to younger travellers.

Hotels "are targeting Millennials, and they understand their demand and preferences", Meng said.