Competing with the nationwide and global visibility of big brands is a challenge for many independent hotels. For decades, the U.S. lodging industry has been experiencing significant consolidation, with the share of independently owned hotels dropping from two-thirds in 1990 to 28% in 2022.
Driving this change is the ability to travel longer distances for less, making international travel more accessible and the value proposition of a known brand more attractive. The rising trend, termed by industry insiders as chainification or brandification, is evident globally, but most pronounced in the U.S., where 72% of room stock belongs to chains.
