Moxy and Motto.  Autograph, Avid and Alila.  Edition, Element and Even.  Big hotel management companies have been acquiring or inventing new brands at a dizzying pace in the past several years. 

But as the long bull market shows signs of fatigue, some industry analysts are starting to ask: What will become of all these upstart brands when the economy sours? 

“The hotel industry historically has been very cyclical,” said Flo Lugli, principal of Navesink Advisory Group, a travel technology consulting firm. “ It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when the downturn will happen.” 

The major hotel companies, including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, have had all sorts of reasons to add brands, starting with the changing tastes of travelers, particularly younger ones, who no longer want the cookie-cutter sameness that was once the industry’s strong suit.