Hilton CEO Sees More Room to Improve Owner Margins

Hilton President and CEO Christopher Nassetta said at the Skift Global Forum in New York City that hotel owners have had an abnormal, difficult decade — from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and anemic growth in 2017-2018, to the pandemic wiping out more than 90% of revenue, a stimulus-fueled recovery, and then weak growth with high inflation. He said he began developing a response in late 2024 and early 2025; Hilton launched Project Rise last June and rolled it out this year, committing to return 75 to 100 basis points of incremental margin to owners.