Bethesda, Maryland: Marriott International has raised its full-year 2026 revenue per available room (RevPAR) forecast after reporting strong second-quarter financial results, supported by resilient travel demand, continued expansion of its global hotel portfolio and robust development activity.
The world’s largest hotel company posted 3.4% worldwide RevPAR growth during the second quarter of 2026, prompting it to increase its full-year RevPAR outlook to 3%–3.5%, up from its previous guidance. The revised forecast reflects continued strength in the North American market despite geopolitical challenges affecting parts of the international business.
Revenue and Profitability Continue to Climb
Marriott reported net income of US$766 million for the quarter, while adjusted net income rose to US$844 million. Reported diluted earnings per share reached US$2.90, with adjusted diluted EPS increasing to US$3.19.
Adjusted EBITDA climbed 13% year-on-year to US$1.592 billion, highlighting the company’s ability to maintain profitability through disciplined operations and sustained demand across its global portfolio.
The company also generated significant shareholder returns, repurchasing three million shares worth US$1.1 billionduring the quarter. Including dividends and buybacks, Marriott returned approximately US$2.6 billion to shareholders during the first seven months of 2026.
North America Drives Growth
The strongest performance came from the United States and Canada, where RevPAR increased 5%, supported by higher average daily rates (ADR) and broad-based demand across business, leisure and group travel segments.
International markets presented a mixed picture, with overall RevPAR declining 0.5% as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on travel demand.
In the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, RevPAR declined by more than 5%, largely due to a 43% drop in the Middle East, which offset healthy growth across European destinations.
By contrast, Asia Pacific excluding China recorded RevPAR growth of more than 5%, driven by strong leisure travel and increasing intra-regional demand. Greater China also delivered positive momentum, with RevPAR rising more than 3%, supported by Marriott’s luxury portfolio and strong performance in destinations including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Hainan.
Record Development Pipeline
Marriott continued to strengthen its position as the world’s largest hotel operator through aggressive global expansion.
During the second quarter, the company added approximately 17,900 net rooms, increasing its global room portfolio by 4.5% compared with the same period last year.
At the end of June, Marriott’s development pipeline reached a record 4,200 properties comprising approximately 629,000 rooms, representing nearly 7% year-on-year growth. Around 44% of those rooms are currently under construction, including hotel conversion projects.
Conversions remained a key driver of expansion, accounting for more than one-third of new hotel signings and 40% of hotel openings during the first half of 2026.
Marriott Bonvoy Continues to Expand
The company’s loyalty platform, Marriott Bonvoy, surpassed 295 million members by the end of the second quarter, reinforcing its role in driving direct bookings and customer engagement.
Marriott also announced new long-term agreements with JPMorgan Chase and American Express for its co-branded credit card programme in the United States, a move expected to generate additional long-term value for hotel owners, members and shareholders.
Fee Income Remains Strong
Franchise and base management fees increased 14% year-on-year to US$1.366 billion, benefiting from higher room growth, improved RevPAR and increased revenue from co-branded credit card partnerships.
Incentive management fees rose to US$212 million, with strong contributions from the United States and Canada partially offset by softer performance in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
International managed hotels generated more than half of Marriott’s total incentive management fee income during the quarter.
One-Time Charges Impact Reported Results
While underlying business performance remained strong, reported earnings were affected by several one-off items.
Revenue from owned, leased and other operations declined to US$49 million, primarily due to a US$27 million litigation-related accrual and lower hotel termination fees.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses increased significantly following a US$68 million impairment charge linked to the sale of a hotel in the United States and Canada. These items were excluded from Marriott’s adjusted financial results.
General and administrative expenses rose modestly due to higher employee compensation costs, while net interest expense increased because of higher debt balances.
CEO Confident in Long-Term Growth
Anthony Capuano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, said the company delivered another quarter of strong operational and financial performance despite geopolitical challenges in some international markets.
He highlighted the resilience of Marriott’s diversified global portfolio, record development pipeline and continued growth of the Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem as key drivers supporting the company’s improved outlook.
Looking ahead, Marriott expects the current macroeconomic environment to remain broadly stable while benefiting from the enhanced commercial terms under its renewed U.S. co-branded credit card agreements. The company believes its combination of global scale, brand strength and disciplined development strategy positions it well for sustained long-term growth.
