- Hilton’s RevPAR rose 5.8 percent.
- RevPAR forecast raised to 4 to 4.5 percent.
- Pipeline reached 543,100 rooms.
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS reported a 5.8 percent increase in third-quarter system-wide comparable RevPAR. It also raised its full-year RevPAR growth forecast as U.S. demand offset declines in the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Net income rose to $536 million from $421 million a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA increased to $1.06 billion from $976 million, Hilton said in a statement. Revenue totaled $3.33 billion, up from $3.12 billion in the third quarter of 2025.
"We delivered strong top and bottom-line results for the third quarter that exceeded our expectations,” said Christopher Nassetta, Hilton’s president and CEO. “Our results were driven by momentum across our system, which we expect to continue for the remainder of the year and into 2027. We achieved our highest quarter ever for organic openings, and the continued quarterly sequential increases give us confidence in delivering net unit growth around the midpoint of our 6 percent to 7 percent full-year guidance range.”
U.S. RevPAR rose 7 percent, while Europe gained 6.5 percent and the Americas outside the U.S. increased 6.3 percent. RevPAR declined 5.6 percent in the Middle East and Africa and 0.5 percent in Asia Pacific.
Diluted earnings per share rose to $2.37 from $1.78, and adjusted earnings per share reached $2.45, up from $2.11. Management and franchise fee revenues grew 9.5 percent from a year earlier. System-wide occupancy increased 1.4 percentage points to 75.8 percent, and average daily rate rose 3.9 percent to $164.57, lifting RevPAR to $124.70.
Full-year outlook raised
It expects midterm elections and Middle East tensions to weigh on fourth-quarter performance.Photo credit: iStock
Hilton said the World Cup and favorable calendar and holiday shifts supported third-quarter results. In July, the company had projected RevPAR growth of about 4 percent for the quarter. It expects the U.S. midterm elections and conditions in the Middle East to weigh on fourth-quarter performance.
The company now expects full-year RevPAR growth of 4 to 4.5 percent, up from its July forecast of 3 to 3.5 percent. It projects fourth-quarter RevPAR growth of 3 to 3.5 percent.
Full-year net income is projected at $1.91 billion to $1.92 billion, and adjusted EBITDA is forecast at $4.06 billion to $4.08 billion. The EBITDA outlook reflects lower expectations for the Middle East and for timeshare license fees than the company’s previous guidance.
Hilton expects full-year adjusted earnings per share of $9.07 to $9.13 and diluted earnings per share of $8.38 to $8.44.
For the first nine months of 2026, RevPAR rose 4.7 percent. Net income reached $1.40 billion, up from $1.16 billion a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA increased to $3.01 billion from $2.78 billion.
Pipeline grows, buybacks continue
Hilton opened 182 hotels, added 23,000 net rooms, and achieved 6 percent unit growth.Photo credit: Hilton Worldwide Holdings
Hilton opened 182 hotels with 27,000 rooms during the quarter, adding 23,000 net rooms, and net unit growth reached 6 percent year over year. The company expects full-year net unit growth near the midpoint of its 6 to 7 percent range.
Hilton approved 30,500 rooms for development during the quarter, bringing its pipeline to 543,100 rooms across 3,869 hotels in 135 countries and territories, up 5 percent from a year earlier. Nearly half of those rooms were under construction, and more than half were outside the U.S.
Openings during the quarter included Hale Hokuala Kauai, Curio Collection by Hilton, the brand’s first property in Hawaii, and Den Bengaluru, LXR Hotels & Resorts, the brand’s debut in India. Hilton also opened its first Select by Hilton hotels and its 100th hotel in Türkiye, Hilton Istanbul Airport.
New luxury signings included Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Mahe, Conrad Bengaluru Airport and Iona Galapagos, LXR Hotels & Resorts. The pipeline includes 26 countries and territories where Hilton has no existing hotels.
Hilton repurchased 2.6 million shares for $845 million during the quarter. Including dividends, capital returns totaled $879 million for the quarter and $2.9 billion year to date through October, and the company expects to return about $3.5 billion to shareholders in 2026.
Hilton’s board authorized a quarterly dividend of 15 cents per share, payable Dec. 29. The company also named Jeff Moore executive vice president and chief technology officer. It will move its stock listing to Nasdaq on Nov. 5 while retaining the ticker HLT.
