Data report · August 2026 · 6 October 2026
Which hotel chains renovate fastest?
34 hotel brands ranked by average Chrono Score across 888 tracked chain properties — every underlying date linked to a cited source. This edition's freshest chain: Mandarin Oriental (9.8/10).
Methodology
Average of hotel Chrono Scores (v1.1) per brand — a deterministic freshness metric (−3.5/year from the most recent sourced renovation, −1.5/year from build year when no renovation is on record; never mixed with star ratings). Brands with ≥5 tracked hotels are ranked; announced-but-unopened hotels are excluded. Sample-based (our tracked database, not each chain's full portfolio). Data as of 6 October 2026.
The ranking — top 15 freshest chains
| # | Brand | Tracked | Avg Chrono Score | Renovated last 5y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mandarin Oriental | 9 | 9.8/10 | 22% |
| 2 | Kempinski | 8 | 9.3/10 | 25% |
| 3 | Mövenpick | 5 | 9.0/10 | 40% |
| 4 | Conrad | 11 | 8.9/10 | 36% |
| 5 | Jumeirah | 10 | 8.2/10 | 30% |
| 6 | Wyndham | 25 | 8.1/10 | 40% |
| 7 | Four Seasons | 21 | 8.0/10 | 38% |
| 8 | Pullman | 9 | 7.9/10 | 44% |
| 9 | Steigenberger | 5 | 7.9/10 | 40% |
| 10 | Autograph Collection | 15 | 7.9/10 | 13% |
| 11 | Hilton | 135 | 7.8/10 | 12% |
| 12 | Hyatt | 50 | 7.7/10 | 14% |
| 13 | Marriott | 83 | 7.7/10 | 10% |
| 14 | Ritz-Carlton | 11 | 7.7/10 | 9% |
| 15 | Radisson | 45 | 7.6/10 | 20% |
…and the slowest renovation cycles
Lowest average freshness among ranked brands in our sample — where guests are most likely to sleep in rooms untouched for a decade, and suppliers most likely to find upcoming projects.
From the founder
“Star ratings tell you what a hotel promised when it opened — not what it looks like today. Renovation years are the missing number in travel, and this ranking shows how differently whole markets treat them.”
— Sašo Radović, founder, HotelChrono
How to cite this report
HotelChrono (2026). Hotel Chains Renovating Fastest. Data as of 6 October 2026. hotelchrono.com/reports/chains-renovating-fastest-2026 — free to cite with a link. Journalists: the full CSV and methodology are open; for comments write to hello@hotelchrono.com.
Freshest countries (2026) →
July's edition — markets, not brands.
The Hotel Renovation Index →
Live index — markets and chains, updated daily.
Renovation Radar →
For suppliers: which hotels are due next.