James Risoleo

Host Hotels & Resorts is one of the country’s biggest hotel owners, specializing in luxury, large-scale properties. The firm, founded in 1927, traces its roots to the Marriott empire. In 1993, the business was split, one entity focused on the hotel franchising model, now known as Marriott International, and the other kept the real estate, becoming a real estate investment trust, now known as Host Hotels & Resorts and led by James Risoleo. 

In Southern California, the Bethesda, Md.-based REIT may not own the most properties, but it makes up for it in terms of room count. Across just six hotels, its portfolio spans 4,361 rooms, making it one of the region’s largest hospitality operators. 

The properties include the 1,628-room Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, the 1,366-room Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, and the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

In the Los Angeles area and Orange County, the REIT’s three hotels generated $381 in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the second quarter of 2026, up roughly 5.6 percent from a year earlier. Average daily rates jumped to $328 from $300 during the same period. While some of the growth can be attributed to the FIFA World Cup, which hosted games at SoFi Stadium, occupancy has stood steady over the past year, hovering around 77 percent.

In San Diego, Host Hotels & Resorts’ three-hotel portfolio earned $447 in RevPAR, about the same as the year prior. Average daily rates rose to $310 from $302. Occupancy has also held steady at about 76 percent.

Host Hotels & Resorts has invested big, too, to keep its properties up to snuff. It’s spending millions to upgrade the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego in a phased renovation that’s expected to be completed this year. It’s also planning a comprehensive renovation of its 400-room Westin property in Costa Mesa to upgrade rooms, meeting spaces and the lobby.