Their paths to success may have been different. Some took the reigns as head of families who worked in the hospitality business for generations. Others worked their way up the corporate ladder, one even starting out as a bellhop and another as a dishwasher, gaining experience and honing their skills over decades on their respective journeys to the executive suite.

One thing is for sure: all are titans of the hotel sector and their decisions have created jobs and wealth here in the United States and in major markets worldwide. The following are Real Estate Forum’s Top Icons in the hotel sector:

Archie Bennett Jr.
Jon Bortz
Sam Chang
Eric Danziger
Jack DeBoer
Benjamin “Patrick” Denihan Jr.
Jeffrey Fisher
Jonathan Gray
Robert L. Johnson
Stephen P. Joyce
Richard M. Kelleher
Richard C. Kessler
Richard Marriott
Joseph A. McInerney
Christopher J. Nassetta
Marilyn Carlson Nelson
Robert D. Olson
Leland C. Pillsbury
Thomas Pritzker
Hasmukh P. “H.P.” Rama
Ian Schrager
Horst Schulze
Hasu P. Shah
Isadore Sharp
Arne Sorenson
Barry S. Sternlicht
Jonathan Tisch
Bruce White
C. Kemmons “Kem” Wilson, Jr.
Len Wolman

To read the profiles of these lodging legends, go to the January 2013 issue of Real Estate Forum online.