Brand Finance's Hotels 50 2026 report values the world's top 50 hotel brands at $69.8 billion, up 21%, with Hilton retaining first place for an 11th straight year at $19.2 billion.
Cover image: New York Hilton Midtown facade with Hilton logo — photo by Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The world's 50 most valuable hotel brands are collectively worth $69.8 billion in 2026, up 21% from $57.8 billion a year earlier, according to Brand Finance's Hotels 50 2026 report. Hilton Hotels & Resorts retains the top spot for an 11th consecutive year, with its brand value rising 28% to $19.2 billion — more than two and a half times the value of second-placed Hyatt.
The ranking, published by the London-based valuation consultancy on 23 July, drew fresh attention this week after Seoul's Hotel Shilla publicised its climb to 21st place — up two spots from 23rd and the only Korean hotel brand in the top 50. Brand Finance attributes the sector-wide surge to resilient travel demand, disciplined expansion and sustained pricing power across the industry.
What is the most valuable hotel brand in 2026?
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the most valuable hotel brand in 2026 at $19.2 billion, a position it has now held for 11 straight years. Brand Finance says the 28% jump was "supported by strong revenue expectations, underpinned by continued global expansion and the increasing contribution of its premium full-service portfolio". The consultancy notes Hilton added nearly 100,000 rooms in 2025, entered four new markets and launched brands in 44 new countries.
The valuation lands on top of a strong operating year for the group: Hilton raised its full-year 2026 RevPAR outlook alongside its Q2 results, giving the brand's licensing-based valuation model plenty of forecast revenue to work with.
Who else makes the top 10?
Hyatt holds second place at $7.5 billion despite a 6% decline — the only faller in the published top 10. Marriott ranks third at $4.6 billion, up 23%, after adding more than 700 properties and nearly 100,000 rooms in 2025; Brand Finance puts its development pipeline at 610,000 rooms and its Bonvoy programme at 271 million members. IHG's Holiday Inn and Hilton's Hampton Inn round out the top five.
| Rank | Brand | Parent group | Brand value 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilton Hotels & Resorts | Hilton Worldwide | $19.2bn | +28% |
| 2 | Hyatt | Hyatt Hotels Corporation | $7.5bn | −6% |
| 3 | Marriott | Marriott International | $4.6bn | +23% |
| 4 | Holiday Inn | IHG Hotels & Resorts | $4.3bn | — |
| 5 | Hampton Inn | Hilton Worldwide | $3.4bn | +9% |
| 6 | Shangri-La | Shangri-La Group | $1.6bn | +3% |
| 7 | Sheraton | Marriott International | $1.4bn | +15% |
| 8 | Scandic Hotels | Scandic Hotels Group | $1.4bn | +49% |
| 9 | Courtyard by Marriott | Marriott International | $1.4bn | +12% |
| 10 | Premier Inn | Whitbread | $1.3bn | +27% |
Source: Brand Finance Hotels 50 2026, published 23 July 2026. The full report covers the top 50 brands; the change for Holiday Inn was not published in accessible coverage.
Which hotel brands gained the most value?
The fastest riser by percentage is Vietnam's Vinpearl, up 86% to $381 million — which also takes the crown as the world's strongest hotel brand, with a Brand Strength Index score of 95.4 out of 100 and an AAA+ rating. Marriott's Delta Hotels & Resorts jumped 79% to $476 million, while Nordic operator Scandic surged 49% into the top 10; Brand Finance credits Scandic's "customer centric strategy focused on digital innovation, seamless guest experiences and long-term loyalty".
On brand strength, India's Taj scored 93.5 — second overall and, in the report's separate luxury cut, the strongest luxury hotel brand — with its brand value up 32% to $878 million. In Asia, Hotel Shilla's rise to 21st was singled out by Brand Finance as an example of a brand growing "through distinctive cultural content and premium service"; the Samsung-affiliated group runs 22 properties across South Korea, China and Vietnam under The Shilla, Shilla Monogram and Shilla Stay flags.
Why are hotel brand values rising?
Henry Farr, Brand Finance's global sector head of hotels, says the industry "continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, with leading brands benefiting from sustained travel demand, disciplined expansion strategies and strong pricing power", adding that brands combining "asset light growth, premium guest experiences and investment in digital capabilities" are lifting both financial performance and brand value.
The valuations sit on solid operating fundamentals. In the largest hotel market, US RevPAR has been on a sustained growth run through 2026, supporting the revenue forecasts that feed brand valuations. Supply is following demand: the global hotel construction pipeline hit a record in Q2 2026, and every new franchised or managed room extends the revenue base a brand's trademark earns fees on. Loyalty scale matters too — Brand Finance highlights Marriott Bonvoy's 271 million members, and the big programmes now drive a majority of occupancy at some chains, deepening the customer trust and repeat business the consultancy says increasingly shapes brand strength.
What does brand value actually measure?
Brand Finance uses the royalty relief method: it estimates what a company would have to pay to license its own brand name if it did not own it. In plain terms, the consultancy forecasts the brand's future revenues, applies a royalty rate — set with reference to real licensing deals and the brand's strength score — and discounts those hypothetical royalty payments back to a present-day value.
That makes brand value a measure of the trademark's earning power, not company size. It is why asset-light, franchise-heavy flags such as Hilton and Hampton score so well: their business model is essentially renting the brand to hotel owners. It also explains why a brand's value can move differently from its parent's share price — the metric tracks the name, not the enterprise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable hotel brand in the world?
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the world's most valuable hotel brand in 2026, valued at $19.2 billion by Brand Finance — up 28% year on year and the eleventh consecutive year Hilton has topped the Hotels 50 ranking. Hyatt is second at $7.5 billion and Marriott third at $4.6 billion.
How is hotel brand value calculated?
Brand Finance uses the royalty relief approach: it forecasts the revenues attributable to a brand, applies a royalty rate a third party would plausibly pay to license the name, and discounts those notional royalties to a net present value. Brand strength — trust, loyalty, guest experience — influences the royalty rate applied.
Which hotel company is biggest overall?
Brand value is not company size. Marriott International is the largest hotel company by rooms and properties, with a 610,000-room pipeline and 271 million Bonvoy members, yet its flagship Marriott brand ranks third by value because the ranking measures each individual trademark's earning power, not the parent group's total portfolio or market capitalisation.
Which hotel brands are rising fastest in 2026?
By percentage growth, Vietnam's Vinpearl leads, up 86% to $381 million, followed by Delta Hotels & Resorts, up 79% to $476 million, and Scandic Hotels, up 49% into the global top 10. Vinpearl is also rated the world's strongest hotel brand, with a Brand Strength Index score of 95.4 out of 100.
Sources
- Brand Finance — Hilton Hotels & Resorts checks in as the world's most valuable hotel brand for 11 consecutive years
- Hotel News Resource — Global Hotel Brand Values Rise 21% as Hilton Retains Top Position
- PR Newswire — Hotel Shilla Rises to 21st on Brand Finance's Global Hotel Brand Ranking
- Hilton Stories — Hilton Ranks No. 1 Most Valuable Hotel Brand for the 11th Consecutive Year
- Hospitality Net — Hilton tops luxury hotels by brand value, Taj retains crown as strongest luxury hotel brand
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