Two Hotel Giants Just Tied for the Top of a New Ranking — Separated by Less Than a Point
A survey of 10,000 U.S. adults put two familiar names at the top of the list of brands travelers are most likely to book.
Two of the most recognizable names in hospitality finished neck and neck at the top of a new ranking of the hotel brands Americans are most likely to book over the coming year. According to fresh YouGov BrandIndex data drawn from more than 10,000 U.S. adults, Marriott edged out Hilton for the No. 1 spot — 45.3 percent to 44.9 percent.
Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express rounded out the top five in the "consideration" ranking, and every brand in the top 10 belongs to just four companies: Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Hyatt. It's a snapshot of how concentrated traveler attention has become at the scale end of the market.
Momentum told a slightly different story. Holiday Inn posted the biggest year-over-year gain, up 2.2 points, followed by Hyatt at plus-1.9 and Marriott at plus-1.6. Trip type mattered too: Hilton led among business travelers at 46.5 percent, while Marriott ranked first with leisure-only travelers.
The survey's authors tied the intense competition to household budgets, noting that a rising cost of living has made travelers "more selective about where they spend." That pressure helps explain why value-oriented brands scored well with leisure travelers while upscale names skewed toward business trips.
For the all-inclusive world, the takeaway is pointed. Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt have each spent recent years pushing aggressively into the beach-resort category, and topping a consumer-consideration list gives those brands a head start as they court vacationers weighing their next Caribbean or Mexico escape.
