This article was originally published in the Brand Finance US 500 2025 report
Hilton’s brand value has increased 30% to USD15.1 billion in 2025, according to Brand Finance’s US 500 report - reflecting strong growth across its brand portfolio and continued investment in innovation.
Chris Silcock, President, Global Brands & Commercial Services at Hilton, shares how the brand is evolving the guest experience - pairing cutting-edge technology with personalised service, and expanding its presence across luxury, lifestyle, and extended stay segments.
Interview with Chris Silcock
Hilton has been a leader in hospitality for more than a century. How has the company continued to evolve, and what role does innovation play in shaping the guest experience?
Hilton was founded on the belief that travel can make the world a better place, and that vision continues to inspire us today. For more than 100 years, we’ve built our reputation on delivering reliable and friendly hospitality—welcoming guests with exceptional service, no matter where or why they travel.
At the same time, innovation has always been a part of our DNA. We continue to evolve the guest experience through product, service, and technology to meet the ever-changing needs of travelers. Whether through design-forward spaces, elevated service, or enhanced wellness and food and beverage offerings, our focus is on making travel more personalized and rewarding, informed by deep customer research and insights.
Technology plays a critical role in this evolution—innovations like Digital Key, in-app room customization, and guest messaging allow guests to take control of their stays like never before. By integrating partners like Peloton and Calm into our Connected Room Experience, we’re making it easier for travelers to feel at home on the road. This will enable a new level of digitally powered engagement and service at every touchpoint of the customer journey.
Hilton has achieved record-breaking growth in recent years. What’s driving this success, and how is the company expanding to meet demand?
Our growth is built on the power of our industry-leading brands, strong owner relationships and returns, and hyper-focus on the customer experience. With one of the most diverse brand portfolios in hospitality, our goal is to provide an offering at every price point for every trip occasion.
In 2024 alone, we opened nearly 100,000 rooms, marking the largest single-year increase in Hilton’s history. This momentum is fueled by expansion in the lifestyle and luxury segments, including the additions of Graduate by Hilton and NoMad, as well as our exclusive partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). With nearly half of our openings last year in the luxury and lifestyle category, this portfolio has now grown to more than 900 hotels worldwide.
We’re also seeing record growth across other chain scales. Spark by Hilton, which is redefining the premium economy category, has already surpassed 100 trading hotels across multiple countries. LivSmart Studios by Hilton, our long-stay brand designed to meet rising demand for extended-stay accommodations, is preparing to open its first hotel this summer, with hundreds more in development.
With more than 8,400 properties worldwide, Hilton continues to expand into new markets with huge opportunities, recently debuting in Paraguay, Nepal, and Bonaire. Today, we operate in 140 countries and territories, welcoming more than 224 million guests last year, more than any year in our history.
Hilton has been recognized as a great place to work year after year. How do you foster a strong culture?
Our culture is the foundation of everything we do. At Hilton, we believe hospitality starts with our Team Members, and that’s why we invest in creating an environment where they feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. When our Team Members thrive, they deliver exceptional stays—every hotel, every guest, every time.
For the eighth consecutive year, Hilton was named the best hospitality workplace in the world by Great Place to Work and Fortune. This recognition reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive, purpose-driven culture, where Team Members are entrusted with making meaningful contributions that fulfill our mission of filling the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.
We do this by creating a flexible culture that offers a fully human experience at work, and that also provides long-term career paths for those who want them. From industry-leading benefits and career development programs to initiatives that support well-being and work-life balance, we want to ensure our Team Members have the resources and opportunities to grow, thrive, and make an impact.
What key trends do you see shaping the hospitality industry in the coming years?
Luxury and lifestyle travel continue to expand across generations. Younger travelers are increasingly willing to spend at luxury levels, seeking immersive, high-end experiences that go beyond traditional stays. Hilton’s luxury portfolio has surpassed 500 properties worldwide, thanks to our luxury brands—Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, and LXR—and our partnership with SLH, which allows us to unlock unique destinations for our most valued guests, our Hilton Honors members.
As business and leisure travel continue to intersect, Hilton All-Inclusive meets this growing demand, catering to groups, meetings, and events of all sizes delivered alongside our incredible leisure offerings and amenities. Guests can enjoy elevated food and beverage and on-property activities with innovative meeting and event spaces – all without having to leave the resort.
Adventure tourism is another major driver, as proven by Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report—with more than two-thirds of respondents saying they want to stay active while traveling and 1 in 4 planning outdoor adventures in 2025. We answered this demand through our exclusive partnership with AutoCamp, which brings boutique outdoor lodging into the Hilton ecosystem, and of course, our properties around the world curate locally inspired adventures every day.
What’s next for Hilton in 2025 and beyond?
Exciting things on the horizon for Hilton—in 2025, we will welcome some of our most highly anticipated luxury and lifestyle properties, including Waldorf Astoria New York, Conrad Athens, and Waldorf Astoria Osaka, which I recently had the pleasure of visiting during a trip to Japan. Our global footprint will continue to grow, with hotels set to debut in Bermuda and Mexico, as well as continued growth in key markets such as India and Egypt. And, a number of brands are set to celebrate major milestones, as DoubleTree approaches its 700th property and Hilton Hotels & Resorts will expand into its 100th country.
As always, our top priority is the Stay. We will continue to focus on delivering a superior experience through product, service, and technology innovation at every stage of the customer journey.
