NOMINATED: Europe

Paris-based AccorHotels oversees more than 4,200 hotels worldwide under brands such as Sofitel, Pullman, Ibis and Novotel. The group, which also owns home-based accommodations provider Onefinestay, acquired Fairmont and Raffles in 2016 and in 2017 bought out digital-services firms Availpro and VeryChic.

NOMINATED: Overall Hotel Group, Agent Loyalty Program, Sales & Service

Founded in 2001, AMResorts, which is owned by Apple Leisure Group, provides sales, marketing and brand management services to six resort brands comprising more than 50 all-inclusive properties throughout Mexico, Jamaica, Curacao, St. Thomas, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. The brands are Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Now Resorts & Spas and Sunscape Resorts & Spas.

NOMINATED: Boutique

Marriott International, which launched its Autograph Collection in 2010, continues to expand the reach of the soft brand, which as of late 2017 totaled 130 hotels with almost 29,000 rooms. In late 2016, the group's Coconut Beach Resort broke ground in Antigua, while in 2017, the group added Miami's Hotel Beaux Arts.

NOMINATED: Domestic, Europe, Midpriced, Overall Hotel Group

Best Western International lists more than 4,200 independently owned and operated hotels in more than 100 countries and territories. More than 90% of affiliated hotels in Europe boast three- or four-star ratings, while more than 1,000 North American properties have received at least a Three Diamond rating from AAA and the Canadian Automobile Association. Best Western, which has more than 25 million loyalty-program members, has properties under 11 brands, including the Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier delineations. The company announced in January that its first Vib hotel would be built in Antalya, Turkey, while Best Western's first Glo-branded hotel is slated to open near Dallas in May 2018.

NOMINATED: Midpriced

The flagship brand of Choice Hotels International franchises more than 1,600 U.S. hotels between its Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites badges. Comfort Inn hotels participate in the Choice Privileges rewards program. The brand as of 2017 was poised for growth after signing agreements in 2016 for more 200 franchised hotels.

NOMINATED: Upscale

InterContinental Hotels Group's business traveler-oriented Crowne Plaza brand manages or franchises more than 400 hotels totaling more than 114,000 rooms worldwide, with more than 80 hotels worldwide in the development pipeline.

NOMINATED: Midpriced

With almost 900 properties totaling about 84,000 rooms in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Fairfield Inn is a leading Marriott International-owned upper-midscale brand. The brand's recently updated properties offer free hot, healthy breakfasts and free in-room, high-speed internet access.

NOMINATED: Hawaii/South Pacific, Luxury

Fairmont manages more than 70 properties worldwide, including the iconic Fairmont San Francisco, the Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech and Montreal's Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth. In 2016, Fairmont was acquired by AccorHotels and announced plans for the Fairmont Taghazout Bay in Morocco and Fairmont Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia, both scheduled to open before 2020. In 2017, Fairmont announced that it would manage Los Angeles' iconic Century Plaza Hotel when it reopens after a redevelopment in 2018.

NOMINATED: Luxury

Four Seasons operates more than 100 hotels worldwide, each emphasizing personalized 24-hour service and elegant surroundings. The group's 2017 openings include the Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, China's Four Seasons Tianjin and Kuwait's Four Seasons at Burj Alshaya. The company in late 2017 was slated to debut its Four Seasons Chat instant-messaging service at 72 of its properties.

NOMINATED: Midpriced

Hilton's Hampton Inn oversees almost 2,300 hotels throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America as well as 20 additional properties in China that are licensed through Plateno Hotels Group. Hampton amenities include free breakfast daily and free high-speed internet access in guestrooms, lobbies and meetings rooms.

NOMINATED: Caribbean, Mexico, All-Inclusive

Hard Rock Hotels properties around the world are united by the common thread of music. Stemming from the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant concept that was founded in London in 1971, the hotel group oversees 26 properties worldwide, including locations in Cancun and the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana, as well as Chicago, Las Vegas and Palm Springs, Calif. The group said in 2017 that it would rebrand Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal after an extensive renovation.

NOMINATED: Asia, Domestic, Europe, Hawaii/South Pacific, Upscale, Sales & Service, Overall Hotel Group

Hilton, which in 2017 shortened its name from Hilton Worldwide, oversees 14 brands ranging from luxurious, full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and midprice hotels. Its brands, representing almost 5,200 hotels totaling more than 835,000 rooms in more than 100 countries, include Hilton, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria Collection. In 2017, the group opened its first Tru by Hilton midscale property in Oklahoma City, while its new Tribute Collection soft brand gained its first hotel, the Hotel Skyler in Syracuse, N.Y.

NOMINATED: Midpriced

InterContinental Hotels Group's Holiday Inn, whose history dates back to 1952, includes more than 1,200 Holiday Inn properties globally (not including Holiday Inn Express) with more than 260 in the development pipeline.

NOMINATED: Asia, Caribbean, Domestic, Mexico, Hawaii/South Pacific, All-Inclusive, Upscale, Sales & Service, Overall Hotel Group

With a history that dates to 1957, Hyatt oversees almost 750 hotels, resorts and vacation club properties across 57 countries, specializing in full-service hotels with meetings facilities and services for the business traveler. Hyatt in 2016 debuted its Unbound Collection of independently branded properties. In 2017, the company, which partners with Playa Hotels & Resorts on the Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva brands, announced that it would enter the Dominican Republic with the two all-inclusive brands.

NOMINATED: Caribbean, Mexico, All-Inclusive

Spain-based Iberostar operates about 100 properties in 17 countries, including resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The brand's Grand Collection includes the Grand Amazon cruise ship, which offers luxury cruises on the Amazon River. In 2016, the company made its U.S. debut with the opening of New York's Iberostar 70 Park Avenue.

NOMINATED: Asia, Domestic, Europe, Hawaii/South Pacific, Sales & Service, Overall Hotel Group

InterContinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises almost 5,300 hotels totaling more than 780,000 rooms and has nearly 1,500 hotels under development. Its brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Hotel Indigo. The company said in 2017 that it would add a midscale brand called Avid by 2019 while announcing that its first overseas Even-branded property would open in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2020.

NOMINATED: Luxury

Marriott International's luxury JW Marriott brand comprises 79 hotels totaling more than 35,000 rooms worldwide. By 2019, those numbers are expected to grow to 100 properties in over 30 countries. The brand in 2017 said it would add its second Orlando hotel, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, in 2020.

NOMINATED: Mexico, All-Inclusive, Boutique

Karisma Hotels & Resorts owns and manages properties in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe. The company's resorts are geared toward different markets, with El Dorado adults-only and Azul and Generations for everyone, including families, weddings and groups. The company said in early 2017 that it would team up with Margaritaville Holdings to open the first all-inclusive property under the Jimmy Buffett-inspired brand as soon as 2018.

NOMINATED: Boutique

Progenitor of the boutique hotel concept upon its 1981 founding, Kimpton Hotels operates more than 60 hotels under brands such as Hotel Monaco and Hotel Palomar as well as about 60 restaurants. InterContinental Hotels Group acquired the brand in early 2015 and announced plans in 2017 to take the brand to Asia as soon as 2019.

Nominated: Asia

Mandarin Oriental launched in 1963 with the opening of its flagship property in Hong Kong; today it operates 31 hotels and eight luxury residential properties in 21 countries and territories. The hotelier as of 2017 was under construction with a hotel in Boca Raton, Fla., and was slated to open a property in Beirut in 2018. The group also said in 2017 that it would enter the Caribbean by taking over the Pink Sands Club on Canouan Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

NOMINATED: Asia, Caribbean, Domestic, Europe, Hawaii/South Pacific, Upscale, Sales & Service, Overall Hotel Group

Having acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016, Marriott International is the world's largest hotel group, overseeing 6,400 hotels totaling more than 1.2 million rooms. Its largest two brands are its Courtyard and Fairfield Inn select-service badges, while the company also oversees more than 550 Marriott-branded hotels and 444 under the Sheraton badge.

NOMINATED: Hawaii/South Pacific

Honolulu-based Outrigger, which was acquired by private-equity group KSL Capital Partners in late 2016, either operates or has under development 37 resorts in locales such as Hawaii, Guam, Fiji and the Maldives. The company in 2017 said it would reflag the Waikiki Beachcomber, which had been flying under the Holiday Inn flag, as the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger in early 2018.

NOMINATED: Mexico, All-Inclusive

Palace Resorts has 10 all-inclusive properties in Mexico (in Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres) and Jamaica. Palace Resorts is scheduled to debut in Los Cabos early next year with the opening of Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos, featuring 373 rooms (all with balconies and most with ocean views), eight restaurants and six bars.

NOMINATED: Boutique, Europe

Beginning in the early 1950s with the opening of a few hotels in South Africa, today the Red Carnation Hotel Collection comprises 17 luxury properties in Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. In August, Red Carnation unveiled a renovation to London property the Rubens at the Palace.

NOMINATED: Luxury

Founded in 1983, Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts, an independently operated division of Marriott International, operates 97 hotels and 44 luxury residential properties worldwide. In 2017, the group opened a property on Thailand's Koh Samui and agreed to take over management of the Bacara Resort & Spa near Santa Barbara, Calif. The luxury group also took over Switzerland's Hotel de la Paix.

NOMINATED: Caribbean, Mexico, All-Inclusive

This family-owned and -operated Spanish company has 95 hotels in 19 countries. Riu Plazas are designed to cater to business and leisure travelers in urban settings. The company in 2017 completed renovations to both its Riu Palace Paradise Island in the Bahamas and its Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.

NOMINATED: Caribbean, All-Inclusive, Upscale, Sales & Service, Overall Hotel Group

Sandals Resorts is a collection of all-inclusive resorts in beachfront locations across the Caribbean. It operates 16 Sandals-branded "Luxury Included" resorts in Antigua, the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Grenada. In 2017, the company reached a memorandum of understanding to build a property in Tobago, acquired St. Lucia's only 18-hole golf course and reached an agreement to manage a Jamaica hotel under Marriott International's AC Hotels brand.

NOMINATED: Caribbean, Mexico, All-Inclusive

Secrets Resorts & Spas, a member of the AMResorts portfolio, has 15 adults-only resorts in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Mexico. The brand offers "Unlimited Luxury" all-inclusive suite accommodations with 24-hour concierge and room service.

NOMINATED: Asia

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts oversees 95 hotels in 22 countries under brands such as Shangri-La, Kerry, Hotel Jen and Traders. In 2017, the company debuted Shangri-La-branded hotels in Sri Lanka and Xiamen, China, while opening a Kerry-branded hotel in Hong Kong.

NOMINATED: Luxury

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts oversees 43 hotels totaling more than 9,400 rooms worldwide, including properties in San Francisco, Florence, London and Osaka, Japan. The brand was founded by John Jacob Astor with the landmark St. Regis Hotel, New York, in 1904. Marriott International acquired St. Regis parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016. The group reflagged Toronto's Trump International Hotel in 2017.

NOMINATED: Boutique

Marriott International's W Hotels brand includes 53 properties in gateway cities such as New York, Beijing and Paris, and plans to add another 25 hotels by 2020. The group in 2017 added a property in Bellevue, near Seattle, and announced plans to enter Rome in 2021.

NOMINATED: Luxury

Hilton's luxury brand, which in 2017 closed its namesake New York hotel for a three-year remodel, oversees 27 hotels worldwide. The brand's first Los Angeles-area property, the 170-room Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, opened in 2017, while the group is scheduled to open its first San Francisco hotel in 2021.

NOMINATED: Upscale

Westin Hotels & Resorts, the upper-upscale brand Marriott International acquired in 2016 with its Starwood Hotels & Resorts buyout, operates 220 hotels totaling almost than 82,000 rooms. The group is slated to rebrand the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel in 2018 as the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort after that Hawaii property completes its renovations.

NOMINATED: Domestic

Wyndham Worldwide's Wyndham Hotel Group oversees more than 8,300 hotels totaling more than 700,000 rooms globally under brands such as Wyndham, Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Tryp by Wyndham and Hawthorn Suites. The company in 2017 announced the launch of a soft brand called the Trademark Hotel Collection.

NOMINATED: Boutique

AMResorts' four Zoetry resorts in Mexico, Aruba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are described by the all-inclusive resort company as "boutique havens" with "the highest level of luxury  unequaled romantic and holistic experiences [and] socially responsible practices, expressive architecture and exceptional service." The brand will add its first Aruba property in 2018.