Hospitality giant Hilton celebrates growth and expansion

January 27, 2022

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Hospitality leader Hilton expanded footprint with 414 hotel openings in 2021, plus new brands in key destinations as it prepares for a new era in travel

One of the world’s largest and most recognised hotel companies, Hilton showed significant growth in 2021 as it added 414 new properties to its portfolio, accounting for 67,100 rooms.

With global travel suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those figures seem bewildering, but also a sign that Hilton executives firmly believe that there is going to be a strong rebound.

“After a year of recovery and growth, it has been incredible to witness the resiliency of the travel industry and our team’s ability to embrace change while serving more guests in more hotels around the world,” said Chris Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton.

“We believe the desire to travel, experience new cultures and connect with others is core to the human experience. I can speak for all of us at Hilton when I say we’re looking forward to welcoming our guests and helping them make new memories in 2022.”
Hilton has more than 6,800 hotels spread across 18 brands, and on six continents. However, that puts Hilton far behind the largest hotel group, Wyndham, which has more than 9,200 properties and 20 brands, including Ramada and Travelodge.

Top 6 world’s biggest hotel brands

Wyndham Hotel Group
Marriott International
Choice Hotels International
Hilton Worldwide
InterContinental Hotels Group
Best Western Hotels & Resorts

Hilton may be hoping to climb this hospitality ladder with some 2,670 hotels in the development pipeline (representing more than 400,000 hotel rooms) and more than half of those under construction.

“Hilton’s development continues to be a key performance indicator of how well-positioned we are for the long-term,” says Kevin Jacobs, CFO and president, global development, Hilton.

“Hotel owners choose to work with us because of our premium commercial performance. With our capital-light business model, we strive to maximise net unit growth, while continuing to deliver value for all our stakeholders.”