- Hilton reported higher earnings and a record pipeline in Q1.
- Pipeline totaled 3,768 hotels with 527,000 rooms as of March 31.
- Net income rose to $383 million from $300 million a year earlier.
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS Inc. reported higher earnings and a record development pipeline in the first quarter of 2026. Systemwide comparable RevPAR increased 3.6 percent on a currency-neutral basis for the three months ended March 31 from a year earlier.
The company’s development pipeline totaled 3,768 hotels with 527,000 rooms as of March 31, up 5 percent from a year earlier, Hilton said in a statement. Net income rose to $383 million in the quarter from $300 million a year earlier.
“We delivered great top and bottom-line results for the quarter, with RevPAR growth across all chain scales, brands and customer segments,” said Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s president and CEO. “The results demonstrate a continuation of strengthening demand trends we’ve seen since late 2025, supported by macroeconomic tailwinds most evident in the U.S. On the development side, we achieved the largest pipeline in our history and we remain confident in our ability to deliver net unit growth of 6 percent to 7 percent in 2026 and beyond.”
Adjusted EBITDA increased to $901 million from $795 million. Diluted earnings per share were $1.66, while diluted EPS adjusted for special items was $2.01, compared with $1.23 and $1.72, respectively, a year earlier.
Management and franchise fee revenue increased 10.4 percent from a year earlier. The company benefited from growth in rooms under management and franchise agreements, as well as improved performance across its portfolio.
The pipeline spans 129 countries and territories, including 26 markets where Hilton has no operating hotels. Nearly half of the pipeline rooms were under construction, while more than half were outside the U.S.
Hilton opened 131 hotels with 16,300 rooms during the first quarter, resulting in 10,900 net room additions. Net unit growth was 6.3 percent from March 31, 2025. The company approved 26,200 new rooms for development during the quarter.
Among the openings was The Monarch San Antonio, Curio Collection by Hilton. In March, Hilton launched Select by Hilton, a new brand platform, with YOTEL as its first brand under an exclusive agreement.
For 2026, Hilton expects systemwide comparable RevPAR growth of 2 percent to 3 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Net income is projected at $1.909 billion to $1.937 billion, while adjusted EBITDA is forecast at $4.020 billion to $4.060 billion. Diluted EPS is expected between $8.28 and $8.40, with adjusted diluted EPS between $8.79 and $8.91.
The company projected $3.5 billion in capital returns for 2026 and reaffirmed net unit growth of 6 percent to 7 percent. Second-quarter comparisons may be affected by one-time fees recorded in 2025 and lower Middle East RevPAR.
In a previous results report, Hilton said net income was $298 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 and $1.461 billion for the full year. Systemwide comparable RevPAR rose 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter and 0.4 percent for the full year on a currency-neutral basis from 2024.
