IHG just added Noted Collection, bringing its brand count to 21, and adding 11 new brands in 11 years. Which got us wondering: how many brands do the big boys need before someone stages an intervention?
- Accor: 53
- Marriott: 38
- Hyatt: 33
- Hilton: 25
- IHG: 21
- Wyndham: 18
Note: We actually went to the websites and counted!
Corporate headquarters will tell you this is about “consumer choice.” Supposedly, today’s traveler demands a hyper-specific brand for every mood, moment, and mattress preference.
But if you’re a little skeptical (and we are), the story may be less about guests and more about the math.
By launching more brands, companies like Marriott and Hilton can sign additional hotels in the same market without running afoul of territory protections. In other words, they get to compete with themselves, just under different labels. And if you’re wondering why all these soft-brand “collections” keep popping up, it’s because they let companies sign more hotels without enforcing strict brand standards that are expensive and often kill a property’s character.
So is this really about consumer choice, or market share, franchise fees, and keeping owners in the system?
