They’re probably the most famous hotel brand name in the world. They own, manage, or franchise over a thousand hotels around the world. But what do we really know about the Hilton Hotel Corporation?

The start

The dream that developed into probably the most recognized brand name in hotels today drew its first breath in 1919 when Conrad Hilton acquired his first hotel in Cisco, Texas. Today there are somewhere in the region of1,200 hotels under the Hilton Hotel Corporation umbrella; which includes such famous names as the Waldorf-Astoria (New York) and the Hiltons in Paris, Rome and London. A simple beginning has grown into an international phenomenon in less than 80 years.

The brands

Ask any traveler if they’ve heard of a “Hilton” and you’re likely to get around a 90% affirmative response rate. However, ask those same travelers if they’ve heard of “Doubletree”, and (outside of North America) you most probably won’t be surprised to learn that your affirmative response rate is going drop – dramatically! What might surprise you though is to learn that a “Doubletree” is a Hilton by any other name - the name of the game with the Hilton is knowing the brands:

Hilton
The flagship of the corporation and its most recognized brand name.

Conrad
Founded in 1982 by Barron Hilton (the son of Conrad Hilton), the Conrad is joint venture between Hilton Hotels Corporation and Hilton International, with the brand aim of catering to clientele who expect nothing but the best in luxury hotels.

Hilton Garden Inn
Comprising more than 190 hotels across North America, the Hilton Garden Inn is the arm of Hilton Hotels looking to cater to mid-priced clients. Its achievements here have been acknowledged by it having won the “Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Priced Hotel Chains with Full Service” award.

Hampton Inn
Hampton Inn hotels operate in over 1,200 locations and offer value-minded traveler with a comfortable place to stay. Whilst it caters to value conscious travelers, this chain of the Hilton still maintains the standards expected of all Hilton Hotels and this is reflected in the fact that you can earn HHonors Hotel points (Hilton’s loyalty program) when you stay in any of these.

Doubletree
Hilton has 160 Doubletree hotels in major cities that are intended to cater to the business traveler and up-market travel industry sectors. These hotels offer full service restaurants and lounges - with room service and amenities (such as fitness centers). The chain is also well-known for its signature cookies!

Embassy Suites Hotels
With 174 hotels worldwide (the largest of which is in Niagara Falls), Embassy Suite Hotels is America’s largest all-suite hotel brand. The brand was established in 1983 and today has commanding market presence in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

Homewood Suites by Hilton
Homewood Suites is an American chain of over 120 upscale all-suite residential style hotels. The concept behind Homewood is to provide travelers with a “home-away-from-home” feel; which reflects itself in its primary catchment guests – those who are on-the-road for any length of time.