Skift Take
"Back to basics". That's the new focus of Chris Nassetta, as he launches a self-described 'unsexy' growth strategy. Spark and Project H3 are all part of a new vision to turbo-charge Hilton's development.
Skift Global Forum was held in New York City on September 26-28, 2023. Read coverage of the event at the link below.
Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta opened the Skift Global Forum 2023 Tuesday in New York City. He addressed the group’s recent move to display mandatory fees; how he is working to address the greatest hurdles in travel as chair of U.S. Travel; and the introduction of its new brands Spark and "Project H3" as part of a new mission for Hilton to dominate middle-class travel.
"It is not our sexiest brand, but it is the most disruptive," said Nassetta, speaking of the newly unveiled Spark brand. Announced in January and with its first opening in the U.S. last week, Spark puts Hilton into the $80-$100 a night tier of hotels.
According to Nassetta, this brand, and any other potential mid-tier brand launches that may follow, present the greatest growth opportunities for Hilton. Nassetta shared: "Spark is a great example of economy. We’re not in that space yet. The biggest segment of demand is economy. We hadn’t figured out how to do it and afford to have the service levels we needed. Now, we figured it out. We figured out how to t