As ALIS Week begins, brand companies show swagger

Aimbridge Hospitality. Aimbridge touted the company’s transformation in the first year of leadership by CEO Craig Smith and had portfolio expansion throughout North America, EMEA and Latin America. The company noted portfolio additions in the U.K., Mexico, Miami, Austin, and several other properties in California. The company also launched Aimbridge Intelligence in the fall, as well as Aimbridge Commercial, a restructuring of its topline disciplines designed to generate revenue. Earlier this month, the company announced a restructuring support agreement with support from its first and second lien lenders and its existing sponsor to strengthen the company’s financial position. The deal converts more than $1.1 billion in debt to equity and infuses $100 million in new capital for Aimbridge.

Choice Hotels International. Choice said it matched its previous annual record of 61 hotel openings last year, highlighted by its 500th extended-stay property opening in October. In the upscale segment, the company opened 27 new hotels, including 18 Ascend Hotel Collection properties, an 80% YOY increase for the brand, as well as seven Cambria Hotels and a pair of new Radisson properties. In midscale, Choice opened 41 Quality Inns and in upper midscale opened 26 hotels as well as six Country Inn & Suites by Radisson.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts: This year marks the 25th anniversary of partnership and investment by the company’s longtime shareholders, Cascade Investment,  Kingdom Holding Co. and Four Seasons Founder and Chairman Isadore Sharp through Triples Holdings Ltd. The company has a development pipeline of over 60 projects worldwide and, by 2033, plans to operate 180 properties globally. Four Seasons currently has 55 properties across 20 countries in branded residential, and 65% of Four Seasons’ current mixed-use development pipeline includes a residential component. Four Seasons has also added new luxury travel experiences and strategic partnerships with the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience and Four Seasons Yachts, which will launch in January 2026.

Hilton: The company added 973 hotels and nearly 100,000 rooms in 2024, the single biggest increase in rooms in the company’s history, with net unit growth of 7.3%. Hilton‘s development pipeline also surged last year, with more than 1,430 hotels and 154,000 rooms in 2024. Hilton’s pipeline now stands at roughly 3,600 hotels and 498,500 rooms, a year-over-year increase of 8%. In 2024, construction started on 88,500 rooms, excluding acquisitions and partnerships, the highest level of construction starts in Hilton’s history. Hilton said it has more new rooms under construction than any other hotel company, with approximately one in every five hotel rooms under construction globally. CEO Chris Nassetta said Hilton expects net unit growth between 6% and 7% in 2025.

Hyatt Hotels Corp.: Hyatt has a record pipeline of approximately 138,000 rooms as of year-end 2024 and has transformed its brand architecture into five portfolios: luxury, lifestyle, inclusive (all-inclusive), classics (and essentials (select-service). The recent acquisition of Standard International’s The Standard and Bunkhouse Hotels brands and the recently launched The StandardX brand included 22 open hotels and more than 30 future projects. Hyatt has grown the portfolio’s total pipeline properties by nearly 50% year-over-year and the number of open hotels by over 20% year-over-year.

Marriott International: Marriott announced strong global growth, with a record 123,000 gross room openings, net room growth of 6.8% for 2024, and over 577,000 rooms in the company’s development pipeline at year’s end. In 2024, the company signed over 1,200 deals with owners, franchisees and developers — an average of over three deals a day — representing nearly 162,000 rooms globally. Marriott said it continued to have momentum around conversions with 34% of 2024 room signings resulting from conversion opportunities. Its luxury portfolio now has 658 hotels, resorts, and branded residential properties with a record number of 61 signed in 2024 and 266 in its pipeline. The company has grown its open portfolio of branded residential projects by over 50% since the end of 2019 with 142 open residential locations and a pipeline of 138 locations (28% of which are standalone projects) across 16 brands at the end of the year.

Peachtree Group: Atlanta-based Peachtree said it surpassed $2 billion in hotel development in 2024, bringing its total development portfolio to 48 hotels nationwide. Peachtree has been a strong advocate of the Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program since its inception and has been one of the most active hotel developers in the space with new projects currently in Sacramento, California; San Antonio, Texas; and Kahului, Hawaii. It has opened 10 QOZ developments with five under construction and another three in its pipeline. While Peachtree said it remains committed to its core expertise in suburban, limited-service hotels, it has also embraced larger, more complex developments in primary markets.

Pyramid Global Hospitality: Boston and The Woodland, Texas-based Pyramid grew its global footprint in November by merging with Axiom Hospitality, a move that bolstered the portfolio with 30 properties in Europe and the U.K. In the U.S., the company expanded both its collection of branded properties and independent resorts and hotels – Benchmark Resorts & Hotels. In July, the company broadened its service menu by introducing PyramidWorks, a new segment for workplace management.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: Wyndham saw continued global growth in 2024 by adding a new brand and building on its footprint in extended-stay. The company opened its first ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham hotels, and the new brand now makes up 14% of the company’s development pipeline. Wyndham expanded its offering in extended-stay by launching its WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham, its 25th brand, and the name of Wyndham Residences in the U.S. The company also strengthened its portfolio in the U.K., India, Turkey and Mexico, while introducing 12 of its brands into a combined 22 new markets. It also announced an exclusive agreement to introduce its Microtel brand in India, targeting 40 open hotels by 2031. Wyndham also partnered with international lifestyle hospitality group, sbe, to introduce HQ Hotels & Residences, a new smart lifestyle brand affiliated with Registry Collection Hotels.