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Marriott International Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 10 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 19 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Worldwide RevPAR rose on ADR gains: Fourth quarter worldwide RevPAR rose 1.9 percent, and full-year worldwide RevPAR rose 2.0 percent. Operating income rose 3 percent to $777 million in the quarter. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose from prior year: Reported diluted EPS was $1.65 against $1.63 a year earlier; adjusted diluted EPS was $2.58 against $2.45. Full-year reported diluted EPS was $9.51. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 9 percent: Adjusted EBITDA rose 9 percent to $1,402 million in the fourth quarter. Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $5,383 million, up 8 percent. Source
  • International RevPAR grew faster: International RevPAR rose 6.1 percent, led by EMEA and APEC, on leisure transient and cross-border travel. Middle East & Africa RevPAR rose 12.9 percent and Asia Pacific excluding China rose 8.8 percent. Source
  • U.S. & Canada RevPAR declined slightly: U.S. & Canada RevPAR declined 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter and rose 0.7 percent for the full year. Source
  • Adjusted operating income rose 8 percent: Adjusted operating income rose 8 percent to $1,155 million, and the adjusted operating income margin was 63 percent, up from 62 percent. Source
  • Card fee growth from spend and royalty: Co-branded card fee growth is expected from higher card spending and a higher royalty rate paid by card companies. Source

“Marriott delivered excellent results in 2025, reflecting the strength of our brands, delivery of great experiences to our customers and continued momentum in development activity.”

Anthony Capuano, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Worldwide RevPAR growth Sourcefirst quarter 2026 vs first quarter 20251.0% to 2.0%New
Worldwide RevPAR growth Sourcefull year 2026 vs full year 20251.5% to 2.5%New
Net rooms growth Sourceyear-end 2026 vs year-end 20254.5% to 5%New
Gross fee revenues Sourcefirst quarter 2026$1,365 to $1,380New
Gross fee revenues Sourcefull year 2026$5,895 to $5,955New
Owned, leased and other revenue, net of expense Sourcefirst quarter 2026approx. $15New
Owned, leased and other revenue, net of expense Sourcefull year 2026$230 to $240New
General and administrative expenses Sourcefirst quarter 2026$215 to $210New
General and administrative expenses Sourcefull year 2026$895 to $875New
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefirst quarter 2026$1,305 to $1,325New
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$5,840 to $5,930New
Adjusted EBITDA growth Sourcefirst quarter 2026 vs first quarter 20257% to 9%New
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefirst quarter 2026$2.50 to $2.55New
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$11.32 to $11.57New
Adjusted effective tax rate Sourcefirst quarter 2026approx. 24.5%New
Adjusted effective tax rate Sourcefull year 202626.0% to 26.5%New
Investment spending Sourcefull year 2026$1,000 to $1,100New
Capital return to shareholders Sourcefull year 2026over $4,300New
Co-branded credit card fees in franchise fees Source2026around a 35 percent increaseNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The 2026 guidance covers first quarter and full year 2026; the prior release covered fourth quarter and full year 2025. Source
  • New: Certain costs were moved from general and administrative to owned, leased and other expense to enhance understanding of G&A costs. Source
  • Ended: The licensing agreement with Sonder Holdings Inc. was terminated, with $23 million of related expenses in the quarter. Source

Fourth quarter and full-year results

  • Worldwide RevPAR rose on ADR gains: Fourth quarter worldwide RevPAR rose 1.9 percent, and full-year worldwide RevPAR rose 2.0 percent. Operating income rose 3 percent to $777 million in the quarter. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose from prior year: Reported diluted EPS was $1.65 against $1.63 a year earlier; adjusted diluted EPS was $2.58 against $2.45. Full-year reported diluted EPS was $9.51. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 9 percent: Adjusted EBITDA rose 9 percent to $1,402 million in the fourth quarter. Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $5,383 million, up 8 percent. Source
  • Reported net income slightly lower: Fourth quarter reported net income was $445 million, down 2 percent from $455 million a year earlier. Full-year reported net income was $2,601 million, up 10 percent. Source

Fee revenue and operating costs

  • Franchise and base fees rose 5 percent: Franchise and base management fees rose 5 percent to $1,186 million, on rooms growth, RevPAR increases and higher co-branded credit card fees. Gross fee revenues were $1,425 million, up 7 percent. Source
  • Incentive fees rose from prior year: Incentive management fees rose to $239 million from $206 million, led by the U.S. & Canada and by APEC, EMEA and Greater China. Source
  • Owned and leased net revenue fell: Owned, leased and other revenue, net of expense, was $41 million against $72 million a year earlier, under the reclassified presentation. Source
  • G&A fell on lower compensation: General and administrative expenses fell to $241 million from $261 million, mainly on lower compensation costs and litigation expenses. Source
  • Interest expense rose with debt: Interest expense, net, was $199 million, up from $170 million, largely on higher debt balances. Source

“Our global RevPAR index, which remains at a significant premium to peers, rose in the fourth quarter and for the full year.”

Anthony Capuano, President and Chief Executive Officer

Regional and tier performance

  • International RevPAR grew faster: International RevPAR rose 6.1 percent, led by EMEA and APEC, on leisure transient and cross-border travel. Middle East & Africa RevPAR rose 12.9 percent and Asia Pacific excluding China rose 8.8 percent. Source
  • U.S. & Canada RevPAR declined slightly: U.S. & Canada RevPAR declined 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter and rose 0.7 percent for the full year. Source
  • Luxury outperformed, chain scales moderated: Luxury RevPAR rose over 6 percent, while performance moderated down the chain scales. Source

Development pipeline and rooms growth

  • Signings and conversions: Organic signings were about 163,000 rooms in 2025, and the pipeline grew about 6 percent from year-end 2024. Conversions were about one-third of organic signings and gross additions. Source
  • Pipeline mostly under construction: Forty-three percent of pipeline rooms were under construction at year-end, including rooms pending conversion. Over half of pipeline rooms are in international markets. Source
  • Gross additions and net growth: Gross additions were nearly 100,000 rooms in 2025, and net rooms grew over 4.3 percent from year-end 2024. The pipeline reached a new record. Source

“Our development team signed approximately 163,000 organic rooms during the year, and our global pipeline expanded to nearly 610,000 rooms at the end of December, up roughly 6 percent from year-end 2024.”

Anthony Capuano, President and Chief Executive Officer

Loyalty, brands and products

  • Bonvoy added about 43 million members: Marriott Bonvoy added about 43 million members in 2025, and loyalty engagement continued to grow. Source
  • Members drive most room nights: Member stays were 75 percent of room nights in the U.S. & Canada and 68 percent globally in 2025. Source
  • Series by Marriott enters U.S. and Canada: Series by Marriott opened its first 37 hotels in India and entered the U.S. and Canada, with its first two properties opening months after the regional debut. Source
  • Portfolio spans luxury to midscale: The portfolio covers luxury, premium, select, midscale, extended stay and all-inclusive brands, across 145 countries and territories. Source

Margins and adjusted measures

  • Adjusted operating income rose 8 percent: Adjusted operating income rose 8 percent to $1,155 million, and the adjusted operating income margin was 63 percent, up from 62 percent. Source
  • Adjusted net income edged higher: Adjusted net income totaled $695 million, up from $686 million. Adjusted measures exclude cost reimbursement revenue, reimbursed expenses and restructuring items. Source
  • Reclassification changed G&A: Without the reclassification, general, administrative and other expenses would have totaled $306 million, compared with $289 million a year earlier. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Fourth-quarter buybacks of $1.0 billion: The company repurchased 3.5 million shares for $1.0 billion in the fourth quarter. For full year 2025 it repurchased 12.1 million shares for $3.3 billion. Source
  • Over $4.0 billion returned in 2025: Dividends and share repurchases returned over $4.0 billion to shareholders in 2025. Source
  • Buybacks continued into February: Repurchases from the start of the year through February 6 totaled 1.1 million shares for $350 million. Source
  • Debt higher, cash unchanged: Total debt was $16.2 billion at year-end, up from $14.4 billion; cash and equivalents were $0.4 billion, unchanged from year-end 2024. Source

2026 guidance and assumptions

  • Macro environment assumed steady: The 2026 guidance assumes the current macro-economic environment continues. Source
  • Card fee growth from spend and royalty: Co-branded card fee growth is expected from higher card spending and a higher royalty rate paid by card companies. Source
  • Investment spending definition: Investment spending covers capital and technology expenditures, loan advances, contract acquisition costs and other investing; it excludes property or brand acquisitions. Source

Coming up, as management said on 10 February 2026

  • Co-branded card renegotiation pending: The 2026 guidance excludes any effect of the U.S. co-branded card renegotiation, which is still under discussion. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
System properties Sourceover 9,800
System rooms Sourcenearly 1,780,000
Pipeline properties Source4,056
Pipeline rooms Sourcenearly 610,000
Pipeline rooms under construction Sourcenearly 265,000
Net rooms added in 2025 Sourceroughly 73,600
Organic rooms signed in 2025 Sourceapproximately 163,000
Marriott Bonvoy members added in 2025 Sourceapproximately 43 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Government shutdown weighed on business transient demand in the U.S. & Canada during the fourth quarter. Source
  • Demand: Performance moderated down the chain scales, according to management. Source
  • Financial: Higher debt balances raised interest expense in the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release expected the citizenM integration in the fourth quarter of 2025; the fourth quarter release reports the integration as completed, adding 37 hotels.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.