Hilton Hotels has called out 2024 for being a record year for new hotel signings, across its global network. During the full calendar year, Hilton signed 154,000 rooms to its development pipeline, the highest growth rate yet.
At the same time, the group opened 973 hotels, again a record, adding almost 100,000 new rooms to its inventory. The company said this number is “the single biggest increase in rooms in Hilton’s history”, representing a 7.3% rate of net unit growth, or NUG, an established hotel sector measure.
A significant boost to construction
That growth pace fed through to construction starts on 88,500 rooms, a figure that excludes other portfolio additions such as conversions of existing properties. Hilton says that figure means 20% of all hotels currently under construction around the globe will end up being Hilton branded.
“Given the strength of our commercial engines, family of brands, and global network, we continue to feel good about our growth this year,” said Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta. “Our development pipeline and construction starts are strengthening around the world, and demand for travel remains strong, leading to increased confidence in our expectations for net unit growth of 6-7% in 2025.”
Growth in 2024 was helped by Hilton’s acquisition of the Graduate and NoMad brands through the year, providing an instant addition to the portfolio from the Graduate properties, and new brands that the Hilton team will soon be exploiting with a broader international commercialisation. Graduate is currently present in the US and UK, while NoMad is a new brand with a London flagship hotel from which to build.
There was also a partnership signed with affiliate grouping Small Luxury Hotels of the World. This latter agreement delivered hundreds of new boutique properties into the Hilton system, considerably expanding the choice for Hilton Honors loyalty members and giving many more places to stay, notably across Europe.
New brands build pace
Also adding to the momentum were new brands. Hilton’s conversion-friendly Spark brand, in the premium economy space, opened its first hotel in autumn 2023, and since then has grown strongly, with more than 100 properties now trading and a strong pipeline that has seen the brand expand out of the US and into Europe, with openings already in the UK and Austria. A new long stay brand, LivSmart Studios, has also launched, with its first hotel opening in summer 2025 in Indiana, and many more sites in the pipeline.
“With approximately half a million rooms in our development pipeline, coupled with favorable supply and demand fundamentals more broadly and a growing global middle class, we’re confident in our ability to deliver sustained growth in 2025 and beyond,” said Kevin Jacobs, CFO and Hilton president of global development.
The growth means Hilton is consistently growing its global footprint. The company now has hotels in 140 countries and territories, after last year adding hotels in Bonaire, Nepal and Paraguay.
