How Hampton by Hilton Achieved Major Milestones During the Pandemic

Hampton by Hilton is the corporation’s largest hotel brand. Celebrating several key milestones this year and in the years to come, we interviewed the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Hampton by Hilton, Shruti Gandhi Buckley, to learn more about the massive global brand.

Lacey Pfalz (TP): Hampton by Hilton is Hilton’s largest brand. What do you think sets it apart and makes it so popular?

Shruti Gandhi Buckley (GB): Hampton by Hilton continues to be a guest and owner favorite, leading and pioneering the upper-midscale category for more than 35 years. The brand’s strong legacy of industry-leadership is a testament to Hampton’s winning global growth strategy and scale – which includes being everywhere our guests want to be, continuous innovation, offering best-in-class accommodations and amenities, and our relentless commitment to providing unparalleled guest service. All of these factors have led to Hampton garnering more five star social media reviews than any other brand in the industry.

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Hampton is the largest brand in Hilton’s portfolio with more than 2,700 properties worldwide, in 33 countries and territories. Global success can be attributed to Hampton’s regionalization of design and amenities with local market-based variations and room designs to meet the diverse needs of travelers, combined with exceptional guest experience and quality accommodations.

Hampton is a pioneer in its segment, as the first to offer complimentary hot breakfast and a satisfaction guarantee with the 100% Hampton Guarantee. Our award-winning culture of providing authentic, warm, caring and thoughtful service is a key differentiator that helps drive a friendly and reliable experience throughout our global network of hotels. When you are in a Hampton, you know you are in a Hampton; and this drives confidence with our guests that they will have a great experience when they book with us.

TP: The brand has recently spread to several new countries this year. How will these properties position themselves, being the flagship hotels in these countries?

GB: As a best-in-class brand with a global portfolio that spans 33 countries and territories in four continents, Hampton by Hilton maintains its appeal to core customers, as well as attracts new guests by providing quality, reliable accommodations and friendly service at a great value everywhere travelers need and want to be.

The brand’s vast distribution in the U.S. and internationally demonstrates its success across all regions, which is built on three core pillars: Hampton’s long-standing commitment to the 100% Hampton Guarantee and a deep-rooted commitment to service excellence, being a category leader through product and amenity innovation and Hilton’s ongoing investment in the brand.

TP: How do Hampton hotels differ from country to country?

GB: Hampton by Hilton’s success and growth is market agnostic, from urban, downtown and beach locations to suburban business districts and tertiary destinations. The brand’s regionally-tailored prototype design and F&B offering retains the core tenets that set Hampton hotels apart, while allowing owners and developers the flexibility to seamlessly adapt their properties to varying market and site requirements.

Examples of localized variations include the recently-opened Hampton by Hilton Marjan Island, the largest Hampton in the world along with a private beach on the Arabian Gulf; Hampton by Hilton Alcobendas Madrid, inspired by the landscape of the Sierra Madrileña; and Hampton by Hilton Tours Centre, which is part of a major city center redevelopment project in Tours, France.

TP: How has the pandemic impacted the Hampton by Hilton brand?

GB: For more than a century, Hilton has built a reputation of innovation, integrity, and excellence. During the pandemic especially, a familiar name like Hampton by Hilton has never been more important to many travelers. In an effort to provide guests with reassurance of a trusted brand, Hilton placed an emphasis on programs such as Hilton CleanStay, Digital Key and contactless check-in, enhanced booking flexibility and deployed additional training for team members on the latest health and safety protocols. Across the Hilton portfolio, we are seeing a release in pent-up travel demand and are optimistic these trends will continue as vaccine distribution leads to the easing of travel restrictions.

The brand’s relentless growth and industry-leadership are a testament to our valued partnerships with the many owners and developers who share our vision to position Hampton as a leading hospitality brand.

As of today, Hampton boasts the biggest global development pipeline of any brand in the industry. The brand recently celebrated surpassing its 2,700th open property, debuted the world’s largest Hampton by Hilton in July, welcomed its 200th property in China… and is continuing to grow our global footprint with new in-country openings.

To illustrate the incredible scale of the brand, if a guest stayed at a different hotel each night, it would take nearly eight years to visit every Hampton in the world. With a pipeline of nearly 800 properties with 106,000 rooms in development, once a guest completed that trip, it would also take them an additional two years to stay at every new Hampton that opened during that time.