Marriott International says it signed a record number of hotel deals last year, with 815 agreements representing over 136,000 rooms.
The group now has around 515,000 rooms in the pipeline, to add to its existing portfolio of around 1.38 million rooms across over 7,300 properties in 134 countries.
Marriott opened its 7,000th hotel in April last year – with the honour going to the St Regis Hong Kong. The group added a total of 516 properties during 2019.
The firm said that over half (53 per cent) of signed rooms last year were outside the US, with Asia-Pacific accounting for 38,000 rooms, Europe on 17,000, Caribbean and Latin America on 9,000, and Middle East and Africa on 8,000.
Marriott also highlighted a record number of deals for its luxury hotel brands, with 42 projects signed across 27 countries and territories, and 34 luxury-brand properties either opening or being converted during 2019.
Commenting on the news Tony Capuano, group president, global gevelopment, design and operations services, Marriott International, said:
“With growth and loyalty as the cornerstones of our company’s success, our unrivaled 2019 signings illustrate our winning strategy, which combines leading brands, powerful business platforms and an enduring focus on our associates.
“We continue to drive value for our owners with quality branding options for both property conversions and new builds, backed by our leading business support systems and loyalty platform.
“By staying true to our growth philosophy and continuously responding to the evolving preferences and lifestyles of travellers, we are poised for a successful 2020 and beyond.”
