Leases
We lease hotel properties, land, corporate office space and equipment used at hotels and corporate offices, with our most significant lease liabilities relating to hotel properties. As of December 31, 2025, we leased 37 hotels under operating leases and 5 hotels under finance leases, two of which were the liabilities of consolidated VIEs, which are non-recourse to us. Our hotel leases expire at various dates, with varying renewal and termination options.

Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows:

December 31,
20252024
(dollars in millions)
Operating leases:
Operating lease right-of-use assets(1)
$577 $567 
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other121 117 
Operating lease liabilities730 735 
Finance leases:
Property and equipment, net(2)
$271 $37 
Current maturities of long-term debt25 35 
Long-term debt(2)
315 82 
Weighted average remaining lease term:
Operating leases9.4 years10.0 years
Finance leases28.7 years4.3 years
Weighted average discount rate:
Operating leases4.59 %4.49 %
Finance leases4.65 %6.03 %
____________
(1)Includes $86 million and $77 million attributable to U.S. operations as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $491 million and $490 million to operations outside the U.S., respectively, most significantly in the U.K. and Germany for both years.
(2)Includes finance leases of our consolidated VIEs. Refer to Note 5: "Consolidated Variable Interest Entities" for an explanation of the increases in property and equipment, net and long-term debt as of December 31, 2025, when compared to December 31, 2024.

The components of lease expense were as follows:

Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
(in millions)
Operating lease expense for fixed payments$106 $109 $118 
Finance lease expense:
Amortization of ROU assets24 22 21 
Fixed interest on lease liabilities
Variable lease expense(1)
191 189 179 
____________
(1)Includes amounts related to both operating leases and finance leases.
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases was as follows:

Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
(in millions)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases$145 $138 $137 
Financing cash flows from finance leases41 38 40 
ROU assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities in non-cash transactions:
Operating leases50 44 39 
Finance leases(1)
258 24 24 
____________
(1)Includes finance leases of our consolidated VIEs. Refer to Note 5: "Consolidated Variable Interest Entities" for an explanation of the increase in the total finance lease liabilities as of December 31, 2025, when compared to December 31, 2024.

Our future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2025 were as follows:

Operating
Leases
Finance
Leases
Year(in millions)
2026$156 $40 
2027136 33 
2028131 26 
2029125 22 
2030122 17 
Thereafter392 474 
Total minimum lease payments1,062 612 
Less: imputed interest(211)(272)
Total lease liabilities$851 $340 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 11, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 6, 2025
2023Feb 7, 2024
2022Feb 9, 2023
2021Feb 16, 2022
2020Feb 17, 2021
2019Feb 11, 2020
2018Feb 13, 2019
2017Feb 14, 2018
2016Feb 15, 2017
2015Feb 26, 2016

About Leases Disclosures

Lease disclosures under ASC 842 provide a comprehensive view of a company's leased asset portfolio, including the split between operating and finance leases, discount rates used to present-value future payments, and the maturity schedule of lease obligations. This section reveals a significant source of off-balance-sheet commitments that were largely hidden before the current standard.

Key signals: the weighted-average discount rate affects the size of recorded lease liabilities — a higher rate reduces the reported obligation, so compare the chosen rate against the company's incremental borrowing rate. The operating versus finance lease mix affects both EBITDA and operating income presentation. Watch the maturity table for concentration risk: large payment cliffs in specific years may create cash flow pressure. Variable lease payments excluded from the liability measurement represent real obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet. Compare total lease costs against prior-year operating lease expense to assess the true economic burden.