Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTDan Schmidt, MarketBeatSat, June 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM GMT+2 5 min readKey PointsInterested in Marriott International, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.Hotel stocks are outperforming the broader travel sector because their business model carries no fuel cost exposure amid elevated oil prices.Airlines, cruise lines, and online travel agencies are lagging due to direct or indirect pressure from oil prices above $90 per barrel since early March.Marriott and Hilton are both reaching new highs, supported by record room pipelines, strong RevPAR growth, and capital-light franchise business models.Despite soaring energy prices and geopolitical tension, travel demand remains strong as the summer kicks off. The U.S. Travel Association projects inflation-adjusted travel spending to grow 1% in 2026 and 3% in 2027, with international travel in the U.S. rebounding due to the World Cup. Earlier this month, CoStar and Tourism Economics upgraded their U.S. RevPAR (revenue per available room) forecast to 2.8% year-over-year (YOY) following a 4.0% figure in Q1 2026, the highest quarterly RevPAR number on record.Naturally, the travel sector is booming, right? Not so fast, my friend. Hotel stocks are making new highs, but airline, cruise line, and other travel stocks are lagging both the broader market and their hotel industry peers. Why is one subsector winning big while the rest of the industry lags? The answer, of course, lies in the Strait of Hormuz.→