Hotel chains and operators

A US company headquartered in New Jersey and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It works mostly by franchise: the developer or a management company gets the brand, booking system and standards, while Wyndham controls quality.

Brands are tiered: Wyndham Grand for luxury and resorts, Wyndham and Wyndham Garden for upper-midscale, TRYP by Wyndham for city hotels, and Ramada for the mass market, well known in Turkey, the Middle East and Asia.

For an investor this means guests from the Wyndham Rewards programme, sales through booking sites and travel agents worldwide, and a recognised standard that is easier to let and resell than a room in an unbranded hotel.

Headquartered in Brussels; since 2018 the group has belonged to China's Jin Jiang International, one of the world's largest hotel holding companies. The Radisson brand dates back to 1909.

The range: Radisson Collection for flagship hotels and resorts, Radisson Blu for upper-upscale business and leisure, Radisson for the classic tier, and Radisson RED as a design-led lifestyle format for younger guests.

For a unit owner the value is brand recognition among corporate clients and tour operators, which brings occupancy beyond the high season. How income is shared is set by the contract with the project's management company, so read it separately from the brand.

A US network with an unusual model: hotels are not owned or run by the company but join the network and pay for the brand, sales and standards. That's why Best Westerns in one city can differ a lot — look at the sub-brand.

BW Premier Collection and Best Western Premier are upscale, Best Western Plus is upper-midscale, and WorldHotels is a collection of independent high-end hotels.

For an investor the key question is who actually runs the hotel on site: occupancy and owner payouts depend on that company.

A US company founded in 1919. Strongest in the US, Europe and the Middle East, with many DoubleTree and Hilton resorts in Turkey, the UAE and Cyprus.

Hilton usually works through a management contract or a franchise with a professional management company. Branded residences and hotel units under Hilton typically resell for more than comparable unbranded ones.

A US company and the leader in branded residences: apartments and villas under The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W and JW Marriott are sold in Dubai, Thailand, Bali and Europe.

A branded residence is your own property with hotel services, not necessarily a unit in a shared rental pool. Check whether the management company lets it and on what terms.

A French company headquartered in Paris. Its portfolio includes resort brand Rixos (Turkey, UAE, Egypt), luxury Raffles and Fairmont, premium Sofitel, business Pullman and Novotel, and mass-market Mercure and ibis.

Accor is growing branded residences and all-inclusive resorts, especially in Turkey and the Middle East.

Headquartered in the UK and listed in London. Works mostly by franchise and management contracts. Six Senses is known for wellness resorts and branded villas, InterContinental for classic luxury, and Holiday Inn as the world's most recognisable midscale name.

A national chain with its own sales system and ties to Turkish tour operators. For projects in Northern Cyprus that matters, as most guests arrive via Turkey.

As with any operator, the owner's income is set by the management contract — check the revenue split and fees.

A key distinction: the brand (Wyndham, Hilton) provides the name, standards and booking system, while the management company runs the hotel day to day — hiring staff, selling rooms and accounting for income. Aimbridge is the largest independent company of this kind, with 1,500+ hotels and more than 65 years of experience.

A project with both a strong brand and a professional manager lowers the main risk of hotel investment: weak occupancy from poor management.