7. INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Intangible assets consisted of the following:
December 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
Goodwill$1,525 $1,525 
Unamortized intangible assets:
Trademarks
$1,208 $1,230 
Amortized intangible assets:
Franchise agreements$903 $621 $282 $912 $594 $318 
Management agreements— — 
Other
— — — — 
$905 $623 $282 $913 $595 $318 
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by reporting unit are as follows:
Balance as of December 31, 2023Adjustments to GoodwillBalance as of December 31, 2025
Hotel Franchising$1,441 $— $1,441 
Hotel Management84 — 84 
Total$1,525 $— $1,525 
Amortization expense relating to amortizable intangible assets was as follows for the years ended December 31:
202520242023
Franchise agreements
$27 $27 $26 
Management agreements
— — 
Total (a)
$27 $27 $27 
______________________
(a)    Included as a component of depreciation and amortization on the Consolidated Statements of Income.
Based on the Company’s amortizable intangible assets as of December 31, 2025, the Company expects related amortization expense as follows:
Amount
2026$26 
202725 
202824 
202923 
203023 
During 2025, the Company recorded impairment charges of $26 million and $12 million on its Vienna House trademark and related-franchise agreements intangible assets associated with the insolvency filing of Revo. See Note 16 - Other Expenses and Charges for more details.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 19, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 13, 2025
2023Feb 15, 2024
2022Feb 16, 2023
2020Feb 12, 2021

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.