Hilton Named No. 1 on World’s Best Workplaces List for Second Consecutive Year, Remains Only Hospitality Company Ever to Top the Prestigious List

New data shows how frontline roles can open doors to leadership and growth, providing valuable experience and paths to long-term careers

• 93% of Hilton's hotel leaders began their careers in frontline roles; 67% of hotel leaders say they rose to their first management position within three years.
• 43% of Hilton's corporate workforce worked onsite at a hotel at some point in their careers.
• 86% of Hilton team members say they can achieve their career goals at the company.

MCLEAN, Va. - As it is named the No. 1 World's Best Workplace by Fortune and Great Place To Work for the third time and second consecutive year,Hilton (Nasdaq: HLT) is sharing new research that shows how frontline hospitality roles like ones on front desk or culinary teams offer a valuable start to a successful, lifelong career.

A recent internal survey of Hilton team members found that 93% of the company's hotel leaders began their careers in frontline roles and were promoted quickly. Nearly 70% (67%) of Hilton hotel leaders say they obtained their first management position within three years.

"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, Hilton. "That's what makes being named the world's best place to work so meaningful: In an age of technological disruption, it celebrates our culture of people serving people where team members can build their futures while filling the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality."

Since first being named to the World's Best Workplaces list in 2016, Hilton has been recognized on the list for 11 consecutive years. In 2026, the company was ranked as a Great Place To Work in 73 countries, with No. 1 rankings in 21 countries. Hilton now holds the all-time record for the most No. 1 country rankings ever achieved in a single cycle and was also recently recognized as the No. 1 Best Workplace in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Frontline Jobs Open Doors to Opportunity

The first rung of a successful career ladder doesn't have to be in an office. In a survey conducted by Morning Consult for Hilton*, nearly three quarters of respondents (74%) say the value provided by frontline or customer-facing job experience is underestimated with 66% agreeing that frontline work can offer a better path into a company than applying for a traditional corporate or office role.

A frontline role in hospitality can offer a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience across a wide array of roles, receive fast promotion and leadership opportunities and help build resilient skills that support long, fulfilling careers.

With each Hilton full-service hotel having more than 40 job types on average, candidates are able to pursue a wide variety of roles that match their career goals, ranging from finance and accounting to marketing and management. In fact, 43% of Hilton's corporate team members report having worked onsite at a hotel at some point in their careers and 61% of Hilton's hotel and corporate leadership roles were filled by internal candidates in 2025.

Hospitality is also an industry that doesn't require extensive education or training to get started. Much of the learning is done on the job. At Hilton, 90% of team members say there are ample opportunities to learn and grow and 86% say they believe they can achieve their career goals at the company.

At a time when technology is rapidly changing the world of work, jobs powered by human connection are receiving newfound attention. Among those polled by Morning Consult for Hilton, 75% agree that the skills that matter in customer-facing jobs are hard for technology to replace and more than 60% agree that frontline jobs provide a more resilient career path.

What Makes Hilton the World's Best Workplace

Hilton's fast-paced global expansion continues to drive job creation and career growth opportunities around the world. Having opened nearly two hotels every day on average over the past year, an estimated 130,000 team members have been hired into Hilton's global workforce across its managed and franchised hotels as well as its corporate roles in 2026.

Whether team members are just starting on their journey or looking for the next step in their careers, Hilton continues to prioritize opportunities for team members to take their jobs and turn them into lifelong careers. Since 2022, Hilton has created more than 3.1 million learning and career growth opportunities for its team members and community members worldwide through programs that offer a variety of ways to gain new skills, achieve certifications and learn new languages, including:

• LAUNCH: To build a pipeline of future leaders from the start of their Hilton careers, LAUNCH is an early-career rotational program that offers participants a 24-month journey through on-property roles in cities around the world and rotations across key business areas at the company's global headquarters in the United States.

• Hilton University & LinkedIn Learning: Hilton offers free access to educational courses through its Hilton University and LinkedIn Learning platforms, featuring nearly 30,000 courses and job certifications from best-in-class partners in education.

• Guild: Hilton was the first hospitality company to offer access to tuition-free, barrier-free educational opportunities to its eligible U.S. team members through Guild. Beginning on day one of employment, Hilton team members have access to Guild's platform of educational offerings including programs from English language learning to certificates and bootcamps, as well as a variety of degrees.

• Global Language Learning Program: Hilton's industry-leading offering allows all corporate, managed and franchised team members globally to access a free language learning program, offering a flexible, inclusive and accessible approach to learning a new language through self-study platforms, small group lessons and private 1:1 coaching.

• BetterUp Coaching: Hilton launched Manage™ with BetterUp, a nine-month coaching program for first-time or new people leaders designed to build managerial skills and foster high-performing teams.

• Team Member Mentoring: Through MentorcliQ, a best-in-class global provider of mentoring technology, team members are matched based on development goals, experience and interests while fostering meaningful connections between mentors and mentees. Since launch, more than 6,000 team members have been matched, generating nearly 30,000 hours of completed mentoring time.

• People Leader Essentials & General Manager Academy: To support current, new, and future people leaders, Hilton launched People Leader Essentials, which is a self-paced curriculum, available to all team members, offering content on key leadership topics. Additionally, Hilton works to provide innovative leadership development programs designed for its top-tier talent, including GM Academy, which develops current and aspiring hotel general managers.

• Expanding Opportunity in Communities: Hilton extends learning and career opportunities beyond its workforce through programs that help community members build skills, access mentorship and explore hospitality careers. This includes Hilton and the Hilton Global Foundation's new nationwide partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which connects young people with mentors, exposure to hospitality career paths and transformative travel experiences.

In addition to learning and growth opportunities, Hilton provides its team members comprehensive benefits that support their ability to thrive. More than 90% (93%) of Hilton's team members say Hilton provides unique and special benefits, including Go Hilton, Hilton's team member travel program that provides team members with discounted room rates and travel benefits. Other unique benefits include Hilton's Thrive Sabbatical and Thrive Reset programs, which provide team members with paid time off and financial support to pursue personal passions, recharge or give back.

Hilton's ranking as the No. 1 World's Best Workplace is a result of positive feedback directly from corporate and managed team members among a workforce spanning 500,000 people across 144 countries and territories. For more information about Great Place To Work, visit greatplacetowork.com and for more information about careers at Hilton visit jobs.hilton.com.

Great Place To Work identified the World's Best Workplaces by gathering and analyzing more than 9 million confidential survey responses, representing the experiences of 23 million employees worldwide at Great Place To Work Certified organizations. Organizations are assessed on their efforts to create great workplaces and positively impact people and communities across multiple countries around the world. Companies must have appeared on at least five Best Workplaces lists in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, North America, or Australia during 2025 or early 2026, and have at least 5,000 employees worldwide. More information can be found at greatplacetowork.com.