Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR)

Marriott is the world's largest hotel company, operating over 8,800 properties across 139 countries under 30+ brands including Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, and Courtyard. The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program has over 196 million members. J. Willard Marriott founded the company in 1927 as a root beer stand in Washington, DC.

Marriott is primarily a hotel management and franchise company u2014 it owns very few hotel buildings. Revenue comes from management fees (percentage of hotel revenue), franchise fees (percentage of room revenue), and owned/leased hotel operations. The asset-light model generates high returns on capital. Marriott Bonvoy drives direct bookings and reduces dependence on OTAs (online travel agencies). Annual revenue exceeds $23 billion.

J. Willard Marriott opened a root beer stand called "The Hot Shoppe" in 1927. The first Marriott hotel opened in 1957. The $13.6 billion Starwood Hotels acquisition in 2016 created the world's largest hotel company and added brands like W, Sheraton, and St. Regis. A massive data breach in 2018 (affecting 500 million Starwood guest records) was one of the largest in history. Arne Sorenson, the beloved CEO, died of cancer in 2021.