The hotel industry is thriving as the need and desire to travel increases day by day and year by year. As of now, the global hotel industry total retail value is $493.76 billion. This is an incredibly high amount that shows the importance and financial strength of the sector. Tourism-Review brings you the hotel groups leading the global hotel industry ranked by revenues.

Marriott International, Inc.

Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company based in Bethesda, Maryland.  It was founded by J. Willard Marriott and is currently led by his son Bill Marriott. The hotel group owns more than 6,080 properties in over 110 countries worldwide with 1.2 million rooms (as of December 31, 2016). In 2016, the company’s revenue reached up to $17.07 billion. Marriot employs a staggering 226,500 people worldwide and has been considered a top player in the hospitality industry for some time and is recognized for its superior business ethics. 

Hilton

Another important American hospitality company is Hilton. As of March 2017, the company owns over 5,000 properties with 812,341 rooms in 103 countries and territories. The company employs 169,000 people worldwide and in 2016 reached a revenue of $11.663 billion. It was founded by Conrad Hilton 98 years ago and has its headquarters in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Currently the corporation is led by Cristopher J. Nassetta. Hilton’s portfolio of global brands includes Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton and others.

AccorHotels

The first European company on this list is AccorHotels. It is a French multinational hotel group based in Paris. The group owns and operates 4,000 hotels, resorts and residences around the world. It operates in 96 countries, comprising luxury brands such as Raffles, Sofitel, Pullman or boutique brands like Novotel, Mercure as well as economy brands like ibis, ibis Styles, Hotel F1 etc. AccorHotels employ more than 240,000 people worldwide. In 2016, the company’s revenues reached up to $6.6 billion.

Wyndham Hotel Group

Wyndham Hotel Group is the world’s largest hotel company. The company owns nearly 7,400 hotels under 15 brands spanning 153 countries in six continents. Wyndham employs more than 40,000 people around the world and is rather young, compared to Hilton and Marriott. It was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. In 2016 the company’s revenue was $5.6 billion.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt is an American multinational owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts. The company is based in the Hyatt Center in Chicago, Illinois. As of September 30, 2016, Hyatt owns 679 properties in 54 countries. The company employs almost 100,000 people worldwide. It operates under subsidiaries such as Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place® and more. In 2016, the company reached a revenue of $4.43 billion. It is also considered as the 32nd best U.S. company to work for by the Fortune magazine.

Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co. Ltd.

The first Asian company on this list is Jin Jiang. Founded in 2003, it has established itself as a strong competitor on the hospitality market in the PRC but also the world. It is state-owned and headquartered in Shanghai, China. The company mainly engages in star-rated hotel operation and management as well as budget hotel operation and franchising. As of December 31, 2016, the group owned or managed 5,977 hotels with 602,350 rooms throughout 67 countries around the world. This includes 4,751 hotels with 497,864 rooms in China. In 2016 the revenues of the company reached about $2.52 billion.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is another Asian company on the list. It is based in Hong Kong and was founded by Robert Kuok 1971. The company has 99 hotels and resorts with over 38,000 rooms around the world. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest hotel management companies. The company has 5 brands under which it operates: Shangri-La Hotels, Shangri-La Resorts, Traders Hotels, Kerry Hotels and Hotel Jen. The company’s annual revenue in 2016 was $2.20 billion.

Meliá Hotels International

Meliá Hotels International is a Spanish hotel chain which was founded by Gabriel Escarrer in Palma de Mallorca, where the company headquarters. It is one of Spain’s largest domestic operators of holiday resorts and the 17th biggest hotel chain worldwide. At the moment, the hotel group operates 374 hotels in 40 countries under brands such as Meliá, Gran Meliá, ME by Meliá, Paradisus and more. Meliá employs more than 40,000 people worldwide and the revenues reached $2.1 billion in 2016.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG)

Another European company on the list is InterContinental Hotels Group. It is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and is headquartered in Denham, United Kingdom. IHG possesses over 744,000 rooms and 6,028 hotels in nearly 100 countries. The group has a portfolio of famous hotel brands under which it operates, such as Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza etc. It employs 28,589 people worldwide and registered a revenue of $1.715 billion in 2016.

NH Hotel Group

NH Hotel Group is another Spanish-based hotel chain. It is headquartered in the capital Madrid. It is one of the world’s leading urban hotel groups. The group operates about 400 hotels in 30 countries with almost 60,000 rooms. NH hotels are located in many top city destinations such as Amsterdam, London, Milan, Vienna, Madrid and much more. It also has many more hotels under construction, which will add almost 8,000 new rooms to the system. The Spanish company employs approximately 18,000 people and in 2016 it had a revenue of $1.6 billion.