- Hilton tops global workplace list for second year.
- 93 percent of Hilton hotel leaders started on frontline.
- It was recognized in 73 countries.
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS ranked No. 1 on Fortune and Great Place To Work’s World’s Best Workplaces list for the second consecutive year. The company promotes many of its leaders from frontline positions.
The 2026 ranking is Hilton’s third No. 1 finish in four years and its 11th consecutive year on the list since 2016, the company said in a statement. Hilton remains the only hospitality company to top the list. It was recognized in 73 countries, with No. 1 rankings in 21, an all-time record for a single cycle, and ranked No. 1 in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Hilton fosters employee growth, turning entry-level jobs into lifelong careers and creating future leaders, said Chris Nassetta, the company's president and CEO.Photo credit: Hilton Worldwide Holdings
“At Hilton, we believe that when we take great care of our people and give them opportunities to learn and grow, a first job can become a lifelong career — and their experience on the frontline can shape the leaders they become,” said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton.
Frontline roles feed leadership
Hilton's frontline roles serve as a key pathway to management and leadership positions.Photo credit: Hilton Worldwide Holdings
Hilton’s internal survey found 93 percent of its hotel leaders started in frontline roles, and 67 percent reached their first management position within three years. Forty-three percent of corporate employees had worked onsite at a hotel, and internal candidates filled 61 percent of hotel and corporate leadership roles in 2025.
Each full-service Hilton hotel averages more than 40 job types, spanning finance, accounting, marketing and management. Ninety percent of team members said they have opportunities to learn and grow, and 86 percent said they can achieve their career goals at Hilton.
In a Morning Consult poll of 2,002 U.S. adults for Hilton, 74 percent said frontline experience is undervalued, and 66 percent said it can be a better entry point to a company than an office role. Around 76 percent said customer-facing skills are hard for technology to replace, and more than 60 percent called frontline jobs a more resilient career path. The online poll ran Nov. 2 to 4 and has a 2-point margin of error.
Beyond higher wages
Hilton expanded its global workforce, hiring 130,000 employees as hotel growth accelerated in 2026.Photo credit: Hilton Worldwide Holdings
Hilton said it opened nearly two hotels a day over the past year and hired about 130,000 people in 2026 across managed and franchised hotels and corporate roles. The ranking, however, drew on feedback from corporate and Hilton-managed team members in a workforce of 500,000 across 144 countries and territories. Franchised hotel staff, who typically work for owners, were not listed among respondents.
Since 2022, Hilton has created more than 3.1 million learning and career opportunities for team and community members. Programs include LAUNCH, a 24-month rotation through hotel roles worldwide and headquarters functions in the U.S.; nearly 30,000 courses and certifications through Hilton University and LinkedIn Learning; and tuition-free education from day one for eligible U.S. team members through Guild, which Hilton was the first hospitality company to offer. Its free language learning program is open to corporate, managed and franchised team members globally.
Hilton offers Manage with BetterUp, a nine-month coaching program for new people leaders; MentorcliQ mentoring, which has matched more than 6,000 team members for nearly 30,000 hours; People Leader Essentials; and GM Academy for current and aspiring general managers. With the Hilton Global Foundation, it partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to connect young people with mentors and hospitality careers.
Approximately 93 percent of team members said Hilton offers unique benefits, including Go Hilton travel discounts and the Thrive Sabbatical and Thrive Reset programs, which provide paid time off and financial support. Great Place To Work drew on more than 9 million survey responses representing 23 million employees. Eligible companies needed at least 5,000 employees and five regional list placements in 2025 or early 2026.
