Congratulations Hilton on Your 100th Birthday

To say that a lot has changed in the past 100 years would be the understatement of the century. In ways big and small, the landscape of 1919 would be unrecognizable to most of us. Only about a third of U.S. homes had electricity. Many didn't have indoor plumbing. The top selling car was the Ford Model T. There were few paved roads and no traffic lights. Band-Aids, garbage disposals, and pop-up toasters hadn't been invented yet.

The changes in the business world since 1919 have been even more dramatic. Think about this: Not a single one of the companies that comprised the Dow Jones Industrial Average 100 years ago is on that index today.

One thing that has been remarkably constant amid all this transformation is the hospitality industry. Marriott got its start in 1927. The first Holiday Inn opened in 1952. And this week, on May 31, Hilton celebrates its 100th anniversary.

That was the day Conrad Hilton bought his first hotel — a 40-room property in Cisco, Texas, a town about 136 miles west of Dallas. The building still stands today, with two rooms preserved to look like they did in 1919.

The enduring appeal of these companies says a lot about our industry. While the world is in a state of constant flux, the desire for a safe, clean, comfortable and memorable place to stay while traveling has never changed. Companies that can answer that call on a consistent basis will stand the test of time.

But there's a bigger and more important reason why we should celebrate the longevity of companies like Hilton and Marriott. The hospitality industry generates an incredible number of jobs and opportunities for advancement in the U.S. and around the world.

At Marriott, more than 730,000 people work at our 7,000 properties worldwide. Our hotels — and those of our competitors — help support millions of other jobs. In the U.S. alone, the travel and tourism industry is responsible for nearly 17 million jobs, and accounts for $2.5 trillion of the U.S. economy. One out of every 10 jobs around the world in 2018 was in the travel and tourism industry, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Better still, for many, jobs in the hospitality industry are the first rung on their career ladders. They give these new workers the ability to learn basic workplace skills, to take pride in their accomplishments, to become self-sufficient. These jobs open doors to new opportunities and advancement down the road, not just in the U.S., but around the world.

While Hilton is a worthy competitor every day of the year – on this, its 100th birthday – we, at Marriott, salute the company and Hilton’s global workforce. Congratulations.

There’s no doubt that the next 100 years will see even more remarkable changes in our lives and in the business world. I’m just as certain that Marriott and Hilton will still be creating good jobs, new opportunities and taking care of guests the world over.