Major Players: Largest hotel groups in the world
IHG has held on to its top position in the global league table New research from MKG Group has revealed the shifting tectonic plates of the global accommodation sector, with some major moves in the top ten ranked hotel groups worldwide.
Among the most interesting has been the rise of Chinese group Home Inns, which literally doubled its capacity thanks to the takeover of Chinese competitor Motel 168.
The move, completed at the end of 2011, dislodged Carlson Rezidor from ninth position and squeezed Hyatt Hotels out of the top ten.
With development twice as strong as the average of leaders, especially in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, the Accor group also strengthened its fifth position in 2012.
Accor is also progressively reducing the gap separating it from the fourth step of the podium, with Wyndham Hotel now looking over their shoulders.
While there was no change at the very top, with IHG sitting pretty, the significant growth of the supply of Hilton Worldwide has allowed it leapfrog into second position at the expense of Marriott.
Top Brands
The classification of the top twenty brands worldwide does not reveal any spectacular changes.
Only the noteworthy growth of Hilton Hotels against the drop of Comfort Inn allows the star brand of the eponymous group to win a position in the classification.
Holiday Inn completes the restructuring of its network around the New Generation concept that required it to adapt to the new standards by the end of 2011 or be forced to leave the network.
With its mono-brand approach, Best Western continues to dominate the classification, nonetheless regrouping properties from different categories between Best Western, Best Western Premier and Best Western Plus.
Home Inns makes its entry in good standing in the club of 20.
With the steady development of its brands, especially Ibis and Mercure, Accor strengthens the position of its star brands and even makes Mercure climb a step.
“Capacity growth in 2011 by leading global groups and their primary brands remains globally modest and relies in great part on franchise development,” said Georges Panayotis, president of MKG Group.
“Investors have difficulty finding the proper financing in countries in the Western block and it is only by remedying the under-supplied hotel industry in emerging continents that the growth dynamic can be maintained.
Top Ten Global Hotel Chains
10: Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group:
Established in early 2012 when global hospitality giant Carlson joined forces with the Rezidor Hotel Group, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the largest and most dynamic accommodation organisations in the world, with a portfolio of 1,100 hotels.
With a global footprint covering 80 countries, the chain controls a powerful set of global brands - including Radisson Blu; Radisson; Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, Park Inn by Radisson; Hotel Missoni; and Park Plaza.
Speaking following the merger of the two brands earlier this year Rezidor president Kurt Ritter said: “The goal of this development is to generate more attractive financial returns for the owners and greater value for all shareholders, to be perceived by business partners around the world as one global hotel company, to offer more compelling and consistent value propositions to the guests, and to offer global career and development opportunities to the staff.”
The group is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Brussels, Belgium.
9: Home Inns:
Home Inns & Hotels launched operations in 2002, since which time its flagship brand, Home Inn, has become one of the best-known economy brands in China.
Now the largest budget operator in the country, based on the number of hotels and hotel rooms, the group offers a product focused on the fast growing population of value-conscious travellers.
With the acquisition of Motel 168 at the end of 2011 Home Inns & Hotels took another giant stride forward, adding a further 295 locations to its portfolio.
With its mid-to-upscale brand Yitel, launched in 2008, also going from strength-to-strength, Home Inns & Hotels can expect to move further up the league table in the near future.
8: Best Western:
Best Western International, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000 Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier hotels.
Stretching operations across more than 100 countries, the brand is this year celebrating 66 years of hospitality.
Welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests nightly, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities.
In the second half of 2012, Best Western Premier hotels are scheduled to open in new markets including: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nairobi and Oman.
7: Starwood Hotels & Resorts:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts operates 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries and employs more than 150,000 people.
It is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis,
The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, and Element.
The Company also boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest, allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates.
Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands.
6: Choice Hotels International:
Choice Hotels franchises approximately 6,200 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories.
As of June 30th, 2012, more than 375 hotels were under development in the United States, representing more than 30,000 rooms, while another 75 hotels were set to join the group overseas.
The company operates the Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands.
The Ascend Hotel Collection membership program also serves guests worldwide.
5: Accor
European market leader Accor is present in 92 countries with more than 4,400 hotels and 530,000 rooms under management.
Its portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Suite
Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, all seasons/ibis Styles, Etap Hotel/Formule 1/ibis budget, and hotelF1 - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget.
With more than 180,000 employees in Accor brand hotels worldwide, the Group offers to its clients and partners nearly 45 years of know-how and expertise.
Accord recently confirmed it would sell the Motel 6 brand - which comprises a chain of more than 1,000 budget motels in the United States – to the Blackstone Group for $1.9 billion.
The sale is expected to be completed in October 2012, with Accor set to slip down the list in 2013.
4: Wyndham Hotel Group:
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, operates over 7,170 hotels and approximately 608,300 rooms in over 66 countries.
The group controls a number of brands including: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Wingate by Wyndham, Baymont Inn & Suites, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, TRYP by Wyndham, Howard Johnson, Travelodge and Knights Inn.
In addition, the company has license agreements to franchise the Planet Hollywood Hotels, Dream and Night brands and provide management services globally.
All hotels are independently owned and operated excluding certain Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham and TRYP by Wyndham hotels as well as certain international Ramada, Days Inn and Super 8 hotels.
Wyndham Hotel Group is based in Parsippany, New Jersey.
3: Marriot International:
Based in Bethesda, Maryland, Marriott International is a leading lodging company with operations in 74 countries.
The group operates 3,700 properties and reported revenues of over $12 billion in fiscal year 2011.
The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 17 brands, including: Marriott Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Bulgari, EDITION, Renaissance, Autograph Collection, AC Hotels by Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Marriott Executive Apartments, Marriott Vacation Club, Grand Residences by Marriott, and The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club.
There are approximately 300,000 employees at headquarters, managed and franchised properties.
2: Hilton Worldwide
After 93 years, Hilton Worldwide remains a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels.
Its brands are comprised of more than 3,800 hotels and timeshare properties, with 630,000 rooms in 91 countries.
They include: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations.
The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors.
1: InterContinental Hotels Group:
Since 2004 InterContinental Hotels Group has been the largest hotel group in the world - today operating over 650,000 rooms.
The recently launched EVEN and Hualuxe brands join InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites in a portfolio of over 4,000 hotels.
IHG also manages Priority Club Rewards, the first and largest hotel loyalty programme in the world, with over 63 million members globally.