Hotel brands: Complete guide to the top hotel chains
Willard and Alice Marriott in 1927. The company started as a root beer stand in Washington, D.C., and has grown into one of the largest hotel chains in the world. ... Best Western was founded in 1946 by M.K. Guertin as a referral system among the hotels in California. The brand has since expanded globally, becoming one of the largest hotel chains in the world.