UPDATE 1-Marriott makes newspapers optional for guests

* Dropping papers good for environment, bad for publishers

* Marriott does not expect to save much money from move

By Robert MacMillan and Deepa Seetharaman

NEW YORK, April 13 (Reuters) - Many U.S. hotel chains like to offer USA Today, The Wall Street Journal or their local newspaper as a courtesy to guests. Marriott International Inc (MAR.N) will offer a different courtesy: no paper at all.

Marriott said on Monday that it will stop dropping daily papers automatically at its guests' doors. Now, it will offer them a choice of papers or, if they want, no paper at all.

Based on preliminary data, Marriott projects that this will reduce newspaper distribution by about 50,000 copies daily, or 18 million annually.

Beginning June 1, guests at the company's full-service hotels who opt to receive a newspaper can choose between USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and local city dailies.

This likely would affect USA Today more than any other paper. It is the largest U.S. daily by circulation, and derives a good portion of its readership from travelers who can pick up the same paper all across the country, much like the Journal or the New York Times Co's (NYT.N) flagship paper.

A spokeswoman for Gannett Co Inc (GCI.N), USA Today's parent company, was not immediately available for comment.