MI
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL INC /MD/ (MAR)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 2025 was resilient despite macro headwinds: adjusted EPS $2.47 and adjusted EBITDA $1.35B, with worldwide RevPAR +0.5% driven by international strength and luxury outperformance; U.S. & Canada RevPAR fell 0.4% on weaker lower chain-scale demand and reduced government travel .
- Results were above Wall Street EPS and EBITDA consensus; reported total revenues modestly exceeded Street revenue consensus (see Estimates Context) *.
- Guidance was modestly raised for FY adjusted EPS ($9.98–$10.06) and adjusted EBITDA ($5.35–$5.38B); Q4 RevPAR expected +1–2% YoY; post-quarter update trimmed 2025 net rooms growth to ~4.5% after Sonder license termination (rest of outlook unchanged) .
- Strategic highlights: record development pipeline (~596k rooms), 17.9k net rooms added, Bonvoy membership neared 260M (+12M in the quarter), and commentary on dual-issuer co-brand card renewal as a potential 2026 earnings catalyst .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- International RevPAR +2.6% led by APEC (~+5%) and EMEA; luxury RevPAR +4% globally with strong rate performance, underscoring portfolio tilt to higher-end segments .
- Fees strength and cost discipline: gross fee revenues +4% YoY to $1.34B; G&A down 15% YoY to $234M; adjusted EBITDA +10% YoY to $1.35B .
- CEO quote: “Our third quarter results demonstrated continued strong execution of our growth strategy... and profit gains” and “We still expect net rooms growth to approach 5 percent for full year 2025” (later updated to ~4.5%) .
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What Went Wrong
- U.S. & Canada softness: constant-$ RevPAR -0.4% on declines in select service brands and reduced government travel; group RevPAR -3% with calendar effects .
- Incentive management fees -7% YoY to $148M, reflecting U.S. & Canada declines and lapping prior-year insurance proceeds in Florida .
- Post-quarter, Sonder default removed rooms from the system, reducing 2025 net rooms growth expectation to ~4.5% (vs. prior “approaching 5%”) .
Financial Results
Segment/Geography KPIs (constant $):
- RevPAR YoY (% change) | Region | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | |--------|---------|---------|---------| | Worldwide | +4.1% | +1.5% | +0.5% | | U.S. & Canada | +3.3% | 0.0% | −0.4% | | International | +5.9% | +5.3% | +2.6% |
Company KPIs:
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “Global RevPAR rose 0.5 percent… International RevPAR increased 2.6 percent… luxury RevPAR rising 4 percent in the quarter” and “We still expect net rooms growth to approach 5 percent for full year 2025” (subsequently ~4.5%) .
- CEO: “During the third quarter, we added another 12 million [Bonvoy] members, bringing total global membership to nearly 260 million” .
- CFO: “Gross fee revenues increased 4%… co-branded credit card fees rose 13%... G&A declined 15%… adjusted EBITDA increasing 10% to $1.35B” .
- CEO on tech: “Deploying new cloud-based systems… increasingly leveraging AI across our business” .
- CFO on development: “Conversions accounted for around 30% of both signings and openings… pipeline under construction picked up, though financing still constrains new builds” .
Q&A Highlights
- Co-brand credit cards: Dual-issuer strategy (Amex & Chase) provides complementary bases and higher program funding; negotiations ongoing with optimism for new deals next year; 2024 branding fees $660M, +~9% expected in 2025 .
- Business transient: Global BT flat in Q3 (improved from Q2); ex-government +1% YoY; government transient −15% YoY; SMEs softer than large corporates, impacting select service .
- 2026 RevPAR and event tailwinds: Expect similar global RevPAR growth to 2025; World Cup adds ~30–35bps globally, mostly US/Canada; US group pace +8% for 2026 .
- Development momentum: Conversions ~30% of openings; under-construction share leadership in U.S.; small pickup in starts, but rates/labor/construction costs still constrain new builds .
- AI distribution and seasonality: Optimizing content for gen-AI platforms as emerging distribution; noted elongated peak season in Europe with stronger fall demand .
Estimates Context
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Note: Street “revenue” definitions can differ for asset-light models; we compare consensus to reported total revenues for consistency with SPGI figures. Company also reports Adjusted Total Revenues of $1.729B .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Mix matters: Continued luxury/premium strength offsets lower chain-scale and government travel softness; portfolio skew to upper chain scales is a structural advantage .
- Fee-driven model resilience: Gross fees +4% YoY, G&A −15% YoY, adjusted EBITDA +10% YoY; margin discipline supports EPS beats in low-growth demand environments .
- International pipeline and conversions underpin multi-year rooms growth; near-term net rooms outlook trimmed to ~4.5% after Sonder default but longer-term mid-single-digit growth remains intact .
- Co-brand card renewal is a 2026 catalyst; dual-issuer approach and Bonvoy scale (~260M members) should support stronger fee economics .
- 2026 RevPAR outlook broadly stable vs 2025; World Cup provides incremental US/Canada demand tailwind; watch SMEs and government transient for U.S. select-service recovery timing .
- FY guidance modestly raised for adjusted EPS and EBITDA; Q4 set up implies sequential RevPAR acceleration (+1–2% YoY) and continued cash returns (~$4B in 2025) .
- Tactical: Accretive buybacks continue (3.0M shares; $0.8B in Q3); balance sheet capacity preserved (debt $16.0B; cash $0.7B), with staggered notes issuance supporting liquidity .
References:
Press release and schedules: **[1048286_20251104PH14117:0]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:1]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:2]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:3]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:5]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:7]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:15]** **[1048286_20251104PH14117:16]**
Form 8-K 2.02 and exhibits: **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:1]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:2]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:3]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:7]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:9]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:18]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:24]** **[1048286_0001048286-25-000011_mar-2025q3xex99earningsrel.htm:25]**
Earnings call transcript: **[0001048286_2231231_1]** **[0001048286_2231231_2]** **[0001048286_2231231_3]** **[0001048286_2231231_4]** **[0001048286_2231231_5]** **[0001048286_2231231_6]** **[0001048286_2231231_8]** **[0001048286_2231231_9]** **[0001048286_2231231_10]** **[0001048286_2231231_11]** **[0001048286_2231231_12]**
Q2 2025 press release: **[1048286_20250805PH43664:0]** **[1048286_20250805PH43664:1]** **[1048286_20250805PH43664:2]** **[1048286_20250805PH43664:5]** **[1048286_20250805PH43664:7]** **[1048286_20250805PH43664:15]**
Q1 2025 press release: **[1048286_20250506PH79844:0]** **[1048286_20250506PH79844:1]** **[1048286_20250506PH79844:2]** **[1048286_20250506PH79844:5]** **[1048286_20250506PH79844:6]** **[1048286_20250506PH79844:14]**
Post-quarter Sonder update: **[1048286_20251109PH19711:0]**
Dividend declaration: **[1048286_20251106PH18195:0]**