PHOTO: Hyatt Zilara Cancun was one of many award-winning properties that made Hyatt one of TravelPulse's top five hospitality companies in 2014 (courtesy Hyatt)
The hospitality business is a whole lot of work.
You need to make sure your guests (and investors) are happy, while keeping up with the latest trends as technology pushes the industry forward at light speed.
There is plenty that can go wrong at any given property at any given time if hotels and resorts aren't managed properly, and-inevitably-you'll make some hard decisions that can come back to bite you.
In that respect, it's important to reward the top hospitality companies in the world for their hard work. At times, it can be a rather thankless job, especially if problems arise.
Here are TravelPulse's top five hotel companies of 2014, complete with letter grades and analysis (in alphabetical order).
Best Western: A-
Best Western was very savvy in a lot of areas in 2014. For one, it was the third-most searched hotel company in the world on Yahoo (behind Marriott and Hilton).
Beyond that, the hospitality company made a lot of forward-thinking decisions, from giving guests the option to pay with Google Wallet to introducing the Vib boutique hotel concept to expanding its worldwide collection of properties.
Heck, Best Western is even one of the most pet-friendly hotel companies in the world, featuring about 1,600 pet-friendly hotels in its portfolio.
Hilton: A-
From its numerous hotel openings around the world to its focus on social media and technology, Hilton was surely one of the top hotel companies on the planet in 2014.
Hilton not only expanded across the globe, but also was active on its social media accounts (such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube) and became one of the first hospitality companies to introduce keyless check-in and guest room entry (guests could open their doors via smartphone).
Hilton employees also did community work during its third annual Global Week of Service in October, while the company introduced its new lifestyle brand Canopy, showing a softer side.
Hilton may have been the most proactive company in the world when it came to going after the ever-important Asian market in 2014, which grants the company major kudos.
We could have done without the announcement of harsher last-minute cancellation policies, though.
Hyatt: A-
As one of the major hospitality companies in the world, you can be sure Hyatt is always looking forward.
The company's environmental sustainability plan-Hyatt 2020-has received rave reviews for going the extra step when it comes to sustainability. The use of technology was also evident within properties such as Hyatt Bellevue in Washington, where large touchscreen tables in the lobby featured anything from local directions to video games for guests. Hyatt was also one of several hotel companies that adeptly began experimenting with tiered Wi-Fi (standard Wi-Fi free, high-speed Wi-Fi at small cost).
Include a dedicated website for travel agents and the winning of numerous awards by its properties (Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa Texas for families, AAA Four-Diamond award-winner Hyatt Zilara Cancun to name a couple), and it's hard not to grade Hyatt highly.
Marriott: B
Marriott did a lot of things right in 2014. Not only did the Maryland-headquartered company post strong increases in several key performance metrics, but it also welcomed its 4,000th hotel (Marriott Marquis Washington D.C.), franchised the popular Atlantis Paradise Island, introduced the millennial-minded Moxy Hotels brand (and AC Hotels by Marriott to North America), continued to have success with its revolutionary approach to shared services and installed beacon technology within 14 properties (set up beacons throughout the property to send location-based special offers to guests with the Marriott Guest Services app).
However, it may have been a poor PR and business decision to allow Marriot Rewards members to receive free Wi-Fi only if they booked directly through Marriott. It was a cut to travel agencies, which just so happen to be picking up steam recently.
Starwood: A-
Starwood deserves a lot of credit for attaching to several major trends in the travel industry in 2014, while also still making travel agencies a priority.
The Connecticut-based major hospitality company became the first hospitality company to allow guests to check in and open their door via smartphone in late 2014. It also announced it will be offering free Wi-Fi to SPG members who book through Starwood's digital channels, while giving travel agents their full 10 percent commission on bookings made this way.
Speaking of travel agents, SPG Pro-a new incentive program for agents-was introduced in 2014. Agents are now rewarded even more for their hard work.
Starwood's emphasis on technology and the all-important millennial generation-as well as its expansion of its numerous worldwide brands in 2014-is good reason to give the company an "A."
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