Marriott’s 2025 Cage-Free Pledge in the Spotlight as Field Visit Raises Animal Welfare and Hygiene Concerns

The Voice of Chandigarh | Travel Trade Reporter

Marriott International (Marriott) has yet to publicly confirm whether it has met its commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs across all global operations by the end of 2025. A field visit conducted in November 2025 to an egg farm whose operators stated they supply Marriott properties has documented conditions that raise serious animal welfare and hygiene concerns.

Clockwise from top left: a hen with a visible eye injury; a dead bird observed discarded outside the cage structure; flies on a surface near chicken feed troughs. Photos: Resha Juhari / INCAF / We Animals.

In 2018, Marriott committed to sourcing “100% of eggs from cage-free sources throughout the company’s global operations for all owned, managed and franchised properties by the end of 2025.”

As the deadline approached, the company issued no updates on its cage-free transition despite repeated requests. With no response forthcoming, the Indonesia Network for Compassionate Animal Farming (INCAF) and partner organisations began conducting field visits to egg farms across Asia.

Clockwise from top left: egg trays stored at floor level surrounded by excrement; accumulated waste and debris beneath the cages; the interior of the battery cage facility showing waste buildup and cobwebs across cage structures. Photos: Resha Juhari / INCAF / We Animals.

At a farm whose operators claim to supply to Marriot properties, the following conditions were documented:

• Eggs stored directly on the floor, surrounded by dirt, feathers and excrement
• Swarms of flies around birds and their food
• Accumulated faeces on and underneath cages
• Dead birds discarded around the facility
• Birds with severe eye injuries or blindness
• Birds crammed into dirty wire cages
• Poor access to water

“Marriott claims to ‘Serve Our World’ as a core value. What we documented at this farm raises serious questions about how that value is being upheld in practice,” said Frank Kembuan, Director of INCAF.

The visit is part of a broader Asia-wide movement, with organisations across multiple countries working together to promote transparency and accountability in fulfilling cage-free egg commitments, including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.