CBRE’s second annual Top 10 Hotel Owners and Operators Report for Australia and New Zealand not only benchmarks the largest hotel groups by room count but also introduces exclusive sentiment insights from senior executives across the sector.

Highlights from the report:

Owners:

• Meriton retains the top spot with 6,211 rooms, despite slowing growth and a reduced pipeline.
• Millennium and Copthorne advanced one place to 7^th position, expanding their portfolio to 18 hotels and 3,148 rooms.
• Ownership rankings remain broadly stable, with some reshuffling driven by targeted acquisitions and divestments.

Operators:

• Accor remains the dominant operator, managing 65,075 rooms, more than four and a half times the next largest operator.
• Accor expanded its network by almost 1,700 rooms and adding five hotels, bringing its total footprint to 406 properties.
• EVT and Meriton appear on both the Top 10 Owners and Operators lists.
• Operator rankings remain broadly consistent year on year.

Industry sentiment (new this year): 

• 82% of executives expressed a “somewhat optimistic” outlook for the second half of 2025 and into 2026.
• Sydney and Brisbane were identified as the top growth markets.
• Luxury, extended stay, and business hotels are expected to lead segment growth.
• Labour shortages, economic volatility, and development barriers remain key concerns.

 While growth has moderated, confidence in long-term fundamentals remains strong.

Download the Top 10 Hotel Owners and Operators Report for Australia and New Zealand Report.