Hilton is planning to bounce back after Covid with new hotels, technology and friendly service, according to Simon Vincent, Executive VP and President Europe, Middle East & Africa for Hilton.
In our series of interviews, you can hear Simon talk on a number of topics.
Hilton has 560 hotels trading in Europe, Middle East and Africa with another 350-plus in its development pipeline and expected to be opening within the next three years.
Speaking to Business Traveller, Vincent said that the number of brands had also expanded. Only 12 years ago only the Hilton and Waldorf brands were being operated outside North America and this has no expanded to some 17 brands, including new ones such as LXR, Tapestry, Tru and Motto by Hilton, not to mention Signia and Canopy.
Hear more about the new brands Hilton is opening across the region.
Vincent also spoke about the initial effect of the pandemic on the hotel company, as news came in from China about the virus, and what it was like for the company during the early months of Covid.
Now that travel is restarting, the mission is to ensure the safety of guests and employees. Vincent spoke about how Hilton is planning to reassure guests they are safe with new cleaning protocols and technology.
Lastly, although for many of us, travel is something we are still looking forward to, some Hilton employees worked throughout the outbreak while others undertook charity work.
