3 days ago
Everything you need to know about the world's top hotel brands
What does Six Senses Gangtey Lodge, a wellness retreat set in a glacial valley amid the mist-covered mountains of Bhutan, have to do with the Holiday Inn Express in London's Stratford you might wonder? Well, technically, they are sisters. Both fall under the umbrella of IHG Hotels & Resorts, which, alongside Six Senses, also counts Regent, InterContinental and Kimpton among its portfolio – and that's just the luxury brands.
The hotel industry is in an ongoing period of consolidation and proliferation; each week seems to bring news of yet another brand launch or an old favourite being absorbed into a large corporate entity. The result of this is that the 10 largest hotel groups – your Marriotts, Hiltons and the like – have controlled almost 75 per cent of the global market in recent years.
Wherever you're going and whatever you need, be it a honeymoon resort or a night at an airport, these groups want to add your booking to their market share. This price-point variety also protects businesses from economic downturns – if one year's bonus has you checking into Raffles, but the following year's new boiler and leaky roof makes Novotel the more realistic option, parent company Accor cashes in regardless.
This consolidation is not entirely without benefit to the consumer. Economies of scale mean – in theory at least – a better product for a fairer price, while group loyalty schemes allow guests to rack up more rewards with fewer memberships, and the potential to turn those airport stay points into candlelit dinners at a beach bolthole in Bali.
But now that travellers are confronted by such an overwhelming number of hotel brands, often with few clear defining factors – what's the difference between a Park Hyatt, a Grand Hyatt and a Hyatt Regency? – knowing how to sort the wheat from the chaff is becoming ever harder. We take a closer look at five of the biggest names to help you decode this complicated area of hospitality.
Marriott International
Number of hotels: 8,700
Marriott, from humble beginnings as a root beer stand in Washington DC, is the undisputed leader of the pack, with a market capitalisation of more than $72 billion. Its portfolio is vast, comprising some of the world's most recognisable hotels. The top end of the scale is awash with luxury; see the elegant service of Ritz-Carlton or the contemporary cool of Ian Schrager's Edition hotels. Then there's jewellery house Bulgari's foray into hospitality and St. Regis' classic grandes dames, plus of course the group's flagship JW Marriotts.
Move down a spot from the very top tier and you'll find some hidden treasures in the premium range. Take Le Méridien's new 'urban resort' in Hualien, a city on the east coast of Taiwan, which at a squint could almost pass as an Aman. Autograph Collection, meanwhile, focuses on 'independent' hotels selected for their character – clearly evidenced at places such as the Anouska Hempel-designed Duxton Reserve in Singapore.
This is also the market segment that the group's namesake Marriott Hotels & Resorts plays in, alongside stablemates Sheraton and Westin. The most affordable Marriott properties tend to be diffusion brands – Fairfield by Marriott, for example – hoping to glean a little of their parent company's repute.
Best brand
The Luxury Collection is a solid place to start, offering appealing handpicked hotels, from the bonafide legend that is Venice's Gritti Palace to buzzy newcomers such as Hôtel du Couvent in Nice. Ritz-Carlton, while sometimes having a reputation for old-school luxury, has also upped its efforts with openings such as the Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, a modernist beauty on the banks of Japan's Lake Chuzenji.
Hilton Worldwide
Number of hotels: 8,600
Hilton is probably the most famous hotel group in the world – in no small part thanks to the antics of Paris Hilton, the original Noughties celebrity heiress and founder Conrad's great-granddaughter.
Hilton is certainly a group that understands the power of name recognition: aside from classic Hiltons, there's Canopy by Hilton, whose headboards attempt to create an overhanging canopy effect (who knew?), and Curio Collection by Hilton, similar to Marriott's Autograph Collection – think unique, independent properties with a bit of personality such as Boulders Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Then there are the more practical Tru by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton and Embassy Suites by Hilton.
Perhaps most curious of all is DoubleTree by Hilton. How does it distinguish itself from a regular Hilton? After considerable research the only tangible differentiator we found was that guests receive a chocolate chip cookie on check-in. When asked, a spokesperson for Hilton described it as: 'Hilton's fast-growing, upscale hotel brand known for its warm hospitality.'
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At the top of Hilton's chain is the illustrious Waldorf Astoria, best known for the New York outpost, which reopens this year following an estimated $2 billion renovation. Already open is the Osaka property, which has the best views of the city from its Andre Fu-designed lobby.
IHG
Number of hotels: 6,300
Holiday Inn, owned by IHG, is the world's most recognisable budget hotel brand, and a byword for a certain kind of simple, almost retro travel. The most familiar Holiday Inns tend to offer more practical stays (cities, airports, motorway service stations), but there are some surprising outposts: the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives for example, which has overwater villas and starts at an appealing £200 per night.
At the middle point of InterContinental Hotel Group's portfolio are Crowne Plaza (a solid four-star offering) and Hotel Indigo, another ' boutique collection ', with outposts as far-flung as the Galapagos and as close to home as Coventry. IHG's luxury output chiefly concerns Regent Hotels and Six Senses. Regent shares a founder with Aman (Adrian Zecha) and since being acquired by IHG has been rapidly expanding, now managing properties such as the iconic Carlton Cannes.
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An unlikely hero for IHG is the 'voco' brand, a collection of affordable luxury properties that includes voco St. David's Cardiff; a sail-topped hotel with knockout views across the water to Penarth. Of the Six Senses brand, few properties can beat the five lodges that make up Six Senses Bhutan; staying at each offers a ready-made tour of the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Accor
Number of hotels: 5,600
French group Accor does luxury well, counting Raffles, Sofitel and Fairmont in its high-end segment. It has also acquired the rights to the Orient Express name, kicking off this new venture with the opening of La Minerva last month in Rome. In the premium range, you'll find the modernity of Pullman, the cultural and design-forward Mondrian, and reliable Swiss stalwarts Mövenpick and Swissôtel.
To the more affordable end of the scale are the mid-range Mercure (which also has a spruced-up subsidiary, Grand Mercure) and Novotel brands, as well as budget-friendly ibis. Accor also owns Mama Shelter, the youthful lifestyle brand that joins Hoxton hotels (now part of Ennismore, which is two-thirds owned by Accor) in vying for the coveted millennial market.
Best Brand
Hoxton redefined the concept of the mid-range hotel in creating an affordable brand that offers a truly trendy stay. The loveliest in the group is probably the Hoxton Paris, but closer to home we're fans of the Hoxton Southwark and its rooftop restaurant.
Hyatt Hotels
Number of hotels: 1,300
Hyatt is the smallest of the five groups on this list, but it's snapping at the heels of its larger competitors. The company recently bought boutique hotel booking platform Mr & Mrs Smith, signalling an intention to engage with more intimate properties. Smith isn't Hyatt's only acquisition either; it also owns Alila, Andaz and the Standard Hotels, all of which are notably design-focussed.
It's the brands bearing the Hyatt name that are a little trickier to unpack. Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric and so on – where to start? Park Hyatt is, despite common misconception, far and away the most luxurious of the group, while Grand Hyatt, it turns out, is the less grand of the two. Hyatt Regency is a solid choice for accessible luxury, while Hyatt Centric offers affordable but stylish hotels often with unexpected perks, such as daybed-lined rooftop pools.
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The Unbound Collection by Hyatt is the group's answer to Marriott's Luxury Collection, and includes truly special hotels such as Biarritz's Hötel du Palais. Sofia Coppola's 2003 hit Lost in Translation made the Park Hyatt Tokyo a star, but the Park Hyatt Kyoto
