As of 2024, which of these companies is the largest hotel chain in the world?

Marriott is the largest hotel company in the world by number of rooms, with a whopping 1,597,380 million rooms in its portfolio. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, the company operates over 8,500 properties and 31 brands in 138 countries. In 2022, its annual revenue was 20.77 billion USD, a 50% increase from 2021.

Founded in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice Marriott, Marriott International continues to operate under the leadership of the Marriott family today. The company began as a nine-seat A&W Root Beer stand in Washington, D.C., and expanded into the lodging business in the 1950s.

To add to its flagship Marriott brands, in 1995, the company acquired the iconic luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton. Since then, it has acquired or launched a host of other brands. This includes EDITION Hotels, a luxury lifestyle brand, in 2007, Autograph Collection, one of the first “soft brands,” in 2009, and AC Hotels, a collection of hotels in southern Europe, in 2011.

In 2016, Marriott fast-tracked its expansion by acquiring Starwood Hotels & Resorts, taking ownership of iconic brands like Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien, St. Regis, and W Hotels. Three years later, it replaced the Marriott Rewards loyalty program with Marriott Bonvoy, combining all of its brand reward programs into a single program.