Brand relationships
Marriott
Marriott has the widest ladder in the business, from The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis down to Fairfield and City Express. If the flag stays on the building, plan on a change-of-ownership application with the brand and, often, a PIP.
Founded
1927, Washington, D.C.Headquarters
Bethesda, MarylandFirst hotel
Twin Bridges, Arlington, 1957It started with a nine-seat root beer stand.
J. Willard Marriott and Alice Sheets Marriott opened an A&W root beer stand in Washington, D.C., in May 1927. Nine seats. Hot food came next, the stand became Hot Shoppes, and the company grew into restaurants and airline catering long before it owned a hotel.
That changed in January 1957, when the 370-room Twin Bridges Motor Hotel opened in Arlington, Virginia, with a Hot Shoppe next door. Bill Marriott Jr. ran the new lodging business. Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield came later, and in 2016 Marriott closed on Starwood, which brought Sheraton, Westin, W, St. Regis, Le Méridien, and The Luxury Collection into the same house.
Today the company runs from its headquarters in downtown Bethesda, Maryland, and ties almost every flag to Marriott Bonvoy. For an owner or buyer, the brand on the building sets the prototype, the service level, and what Marriott will ask for at sale. The deal still runs through change of ownership and, often, a PIP.
What guests and buyers already associate with Marriott
Bonvoy does a lot of the selling
Bonvoy runs across luxury, premium, select, longer stays, and the collections. A guest who earns at a Courtyard on Tuesday can redeem at a Westin on Saturday. That reach is part of what a buyer is paying for.
Two companies under one roof
Sheraton, Westin, W, St. Regis, Le Méridien, Aloft, and Four Points came over with Starwood in 2016. Each still has its own standards, so the renovation cycle and the PIP belong in the underwriting from the first call.
Collections for hotels that keep their name
Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels, and The Luxury Collection let a hotel keep its name and character and still sell through Bonvoy. That matters to an owner weighing a conversion.
Marriott’s brands, by segment
This is Marriott’s brand house, read top to bottom, using the groups Marriott itself uses: luxury, premium, select, and longer stays, with the collections beside the ladder. Each card notes who the brand is built for and whether the hotel runs full service, select service, or extended stay.
Luxury
Marriott’s classic and distinctive luxury brands, plus Bulgari and Lefay from its luxury group.
The Ritz-Carlton
Classic luxury hotels and resorts
Full service
St. Regis
Luxury known for its butler service
Full service
JW Marriott
Marriott’s luxury flagship, built around well-being
Full service
The Ritz-Carlton Reserve
A small set of remote luxury estates
Luxury resortThe Luxury Collection
Luxury hotels that keep their own identity
Luxury collection
W Hotels
Luxury lifestyle with busy bars and social spaces
Full service
EDITION
Lifestyle luxury with dining and nightlife under one roof
Full serviceBulgari Hotels & Resorts
The Italian jeweler’s hotels. Not part of Bonvoy.
Full serviceLefay Resorts & SPA
Italian wellness resorts, joined through a 2026 joint venture
Luxury resortPremium
Upper-upscale and upscale full service. Restaurants, meeting space, and a full team on property.
Marriott Hotels
Marriott’s flagship full-service brand
Full service
Sheraton
Full service built around meetings and the local community
Full service
Westin
Full service with well-being programming
Full service
Le Méridien
European-inspired full service
Full service
Renaissance Hotels
Full service with a local-discovery angle
Full service
Delta Hotels
Upscale full service, simple and well run
Full service
Gaylord Hotels
Large convention resorts with atriums and entertainment
Convention resort
Marriott Vacation Club
Vacation ownership, licensed to Marriott Vacations Worldwide
Vacation ownershipSelect
Select-service and midscale brands. Tighter prototypes, lighter food and beverage, and most of the room count in the system.
Courtyard
Upscale select service, the workhorse of the system
Select service
SpringHill Suites
All-suite upscale select service
Select service
AC Hotels
Spanish-born select service with a precise, compact room
Select service
Aloft Hotels
Select service with a social lobby and bar
Select / lifestyle
Moxy Hotels
Small rooms and a bar where you check in
Select / lifestylecitizenM
Compact, tech-forward rooms in central city locations
Select / lifestyle
Four Points
Select service with local beer and sports on
Select service
Fairfield by Marriott
Upper-midscale value with the 100% Guarantee
Select service
Protea Hotels
The largest hotel brand in Africa
Select service
City Express
Midscale hotels across Latin America
MidscaleFour Points Flex by Sheraton
Midscale stays focused on the essentials
MidscaleSeries by Marriott
Established regional hotel brands joining as a group
Midscale collectionLonger stays
Extended stay and apartments. Kitchens, longer length of stay, and a leaner operating model than a transient hotel.
Residence Inn
The extended-stay leader, upscale and social
Upscale extended stay
TownePlace Suites
Upper-midscale extended stay with smart suite layouts
Extended stay
Element Hotels
Extended stay with an open, healthy-living feel
Extended stayStudioRes
Studio extended stay at a midscale price point
Midscale extended stay
Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy
Apartments with a full kitchen and in-unit laundry
Residential
Marriott Executive Apartments
Serviced apartments for long corporate postings
Serviced apartmentsHomes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
Premium and luxury rental homes. Not a hotel flag.
Rental homesCollections
Beside the ladder, not on it. Independent hotels that keep their name and join Marriott for distribution and Bonvoy.
Autograph Collection
Independent hotels from boutique to luxury
Soft brand
Tribute Portfolio
Independent hotels with strong personalities
Soft brand
Design Hotels
Independents chosen for original architecture and owner vision
Soft brand
MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy
MGM Resorts hotels bookable through Bonvoy under a licensing deal
Licensing partnershipOutdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy
Outdoor retreats. Adventure by day, a real bed at night.
Outdoor collectionNo longer with Marriott
Shown for the record. Marriott ended this licensing deal.
Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy
Apartment-style stays. Marriott ended the licensing deal in November 2025.
No longer in operationA Marriott flag is part of the deal. We know who to call.
Selling or buying a Marriott-flagged hotel means a conversation with the brand: change of ownership, the franchise application, and often a PIP. The Kohler Team and Hospitality Sales Group help owners and buyers get through those steps, without sending you off to find a brand representative on your own.