SINGAPORE – Leading global hospitality company Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced that following a record year of growth, the company has reached 1,000 trading hotels in Asia Pacific, up from 761 at the end of last year and ahead of its goal of 1,000 trading hotels by 2025.

In the past five years, Hilton has grown its estate by a CAGR of almost 25% as the rising middle class in Asia Pacific seeks out travel and experiences. With a pipeline of 915 hotels in various stages of development, Hilton is now on course to double its overall portfolio in the coming years.

"Hilton's rapid expansion across Asia Pacific is underpinned by rising customer demand for our brands and appetite for unique travel experiences at every price point," said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton. "New openings in gateway cities, key transport hubs and Asia's sought-after resorts are unlocking fresh opportunities for the region's travelers and pave the way for continued momentum in the years to come."

New openings across the portfolio contributed to the 1,000 milestone, including: Hilton Shanghai City Center, Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre, Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda, The Motley Hotel Richmond, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Bangkok Riverside.

"Despite Hilton's significant growth, there remain many new opportunities for development as demand continues to outstrip supply for hospitality in Asia Pacific," said Clarence Tan, senior vice president, Development, Asia Pacific, Hilton. "We are focused on bringing the right brands to the right places at the right time. We see demand continuing to grow from the mid-market to luxury and we will continue to bring new hotels to market that cater to different price points and stay occasions."

Looking ahead, Hilton is on track to more than double its portfolio of 500 mid-market hotels today, with focused service brands such as Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn expanding across the region. Its luxury estate is set to grow to 150 hotels in the coming years, quadrupling its current size. Alongside its operating and upcoming Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR-branded hotels, Hilton has also entered into an exclusive partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, adding more unique properties to its Asia Pacific portfolio and complementing its existing luxury offerings. In addition, the company's full service brands, the flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton hotels, are on track to grow by another 160 hotels in the coming years. Three quarters of Hilton's pipeline of 915 hotels is already under construction, leading the industry in pipeline hotels under construction.

This year, the company surpassed 700 hotels in Greater China and now has 758 hotels trading in the region across 10 brands in 249 locations. Hilton continues to grow its significant focused service portfolio in China, with more than 400 Hampton by Hilton hotels and almost 100 Hilton Garden Inn properties trading. In addition, it continues to deepen its reach of full service and luxury hotels, such as with Hilton Shanghai City Center, Conrad Chongqing and the recent first signing of the LXR Hotels & Resorts brand in China, which is set to debut in Xi'an.

In India, Hilton has added significantly to its estate this year with the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield and Hilton Gurugram Baani City Center. In November, it signed a landmark strategic licensing agreement with Olive by Embassy to bring 150 Spark by Hilton hotels to the country, marking the debut of the brand into Asia Pacific. The agreement also marks Hilton's foray into the premium economy segment in Asia Pacific.

South East Asia continues to be a bright spot for Hilton, where the company is on track to double its presence in the coming years. Just this year, Hilton made its debut in Laos with DoubleTree by Hilton Vientiane, planted two more DoubleTree flags in Jakarta with DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta Kemayoran and DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta Bintaro Jaya and opened two more Hilton Garden Inn properties in Thailand. In addition, Hilton signed an agreement with a partner in Vietnam to develop a portfolio of focused service properties in the country, which doubles its current pipeline and will eventually bring its Vietnam presence to five times its current size.

Looking ahead, Hilton sees further opportunities for growth in its expanding lifestyle brands Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton and Tapestry Collection by Hilton across the region as travelers demand more authentic and unique experiences.

Underpinning Hilton's growth and continued success is its award-winning culture, having this year been ranked as the #1 hospitality company to work for in Great Place to Work's "Best Workplaces in Asia" list for the eighth year running.