Hilton Hotels
With your tour guide,
Anne P. Mitchell
| Summary: Hilton Hotels was founded by a very young Conrad Hilton back in 1919. The first Hilton Hotel was in Cisco, Texas, but that was quickly joined by other Hilton Hotels, first in Texas, then across the United States, and finally around the world. |
In 1919 a young man named Conrad Hilton bought a run-down hotel in Cisco, Texas and, as they say, “the rest was history”. Presently, the Hilton name is known throughout the world as a prominent leader in the hospitality world.
The Hilton Hotel Corporation, with such acquisitions as the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, and the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Hawaii, now resides among the elite in the hospitality industry.
After Conrad Hilton had acquired his first hotel in Texas, he was bitten by the hotel bug, and by 1945 he had expanded his chain to include such prominent cities as New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Shortly thereafter, in 1946, the Hilton Hotel Corporation went public and became a member of the New York Stock Exchange.
Perhaps one of the greatest treasures of the Hilton Hotel Corporation is the Waldorf Astoria, which they leased in 1949 and proudly took ownership of in 1977. It was that very same year that Hilton Hotels would expand internationally into Puerto Rico.
However, in terms of sheer size it would be the 1999 acquisition of Promus Hotels, which included Hampton Inn, Doubletree, Embassy Suite Hotels and Homewood by Hilton that would expand Hilton Hotels to an amazing 1,800 properties throughout the United States alone.
The Hilton Hotel Corporation is known throughout the world but few know that they were pioneers in the industry. For example, they were the first hotel chain to offer air conditioning and direct dial phone capability, they invented the “hotel gift shop” and popularized the idea of hotel airports.
The Hilton Hotel Corporation has remained on the upper echelon of the hospitality industry because of its relentless pursuit of unequaled quality and service for its guests. In fact, to ensure such a consistent level of quality, Hilton Hotels began the Hilton Quality Service Institute in 1992. This institute was created to consistently educate the Hilton property managers through workshops and classes.
The commitment to quality and service of the Hilton Hotel Corporation is apparent throughout the world. And all you have to do is stay at one to experience the quality and service for yourself.
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