I know it's very easy to say, "Well, all hotel brands are better internationally."

I think we need to stop doing that.

It's obvious that the differences come down to the simple fact that Marriott manages more of its branded properties internationally than it does in North America. Less than 10% of its U.S. and Canadian hotels, across all brands, are managed by Marriott.

So, yes, international hotels are better but not because they're international. They're better, on average, because they aren't franchised.