Private company

AC Hotels

AC Hotels by Marriott, formerly named AC Hoteles C. A., is a midscale hotel chain owned by Marriott International serving business and leisure travelers.1

Last updated Oct 18, 2026.

Overview

1998Founded1

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AC Hotels by Marriott, formerly named AC Hoteles C. A., is a midscale hotel chain owned by Marriott International serving business and leisure travelers. As of June 30, 2020, it had 170 hotels with 25,811 rooms in addition to 135 hotels with 23,172 rooms in the pipeline.2

How it started

History

In 1997, Antonio Catalán founded AC Hoteles C. A. after selling his 35% share in NH Hotel Group.

In 2005, business austerity measures resulted in conference cancellations and widespread bans on business trips for several years. The downturn forced AC to team with a major Spanish rival in 2009 in a management deal that cut costs at both chains. The chain rebranded after a needed, but undisclosed, investment by Marriott. A new joint company assumed the management, but property ownerships remained with existing parties.

Since June 8, 2011, AC Hotels by Marriott has operated as a subsidiary of Marriott International, and is now based at Marriott's headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. Catalán remained as AC Hotels' president.

From Wikipedia’s article on AC Hotels, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Timeline

  1. 1998Founded Founded1

Sources

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