Hilton vs Holiday Inn: Difference and Comparison

Hotels are places that provide lodging services on a short-term or long-term basis, which is paid.

A hotel or a chain of hotels is based on different factors, such as the number of rooms, services provided, or the number of hotels. These factors decide the scale on which a Hotel performs.

Key Takeaways

1. Hilton is a luxury hotel brand focusing on high-end amenities and services. At the same time, Holiday Inn is a mid-range hotel brand focusing on affordability and convenience.
2. Hilton properties are more expensive than Holiday Inn properties but offer more luxurious accommodations.
3. Hilton offers a loyalty program called Hilton Honors, while Holiday Inn offers a loyalty program called IHG Rewards.

Hilton vs Holiday Inn

Hilton is a series of hotels that was founded in 1919 and is now one of the largest hotel brands in the world, with over 18 brands and 6215 properties globally. Holiday Inn is a brand or chain of American hotels that is based in Atlanta and is a subsidiary of InterContinental Hotels Group.

Hilton Worldwide, which was earlier known as Hilton Hotels Corporation, refers to a chain of motels that was originally founded in 1919.

Today, it has grown to be a worldwide company managing and franchising a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts. It currently has its headquarters in Tysons Corner, Virginia, U.S. 

Holiday Inn refers to the American brand or chain of hotels that are primarily based in Atlanta. It is also a subsidiary of InterContinental Hotels Group.

This group has its headquarters in Denham, Buckinghamshire. This small motel chain that was founded in 1952 grew to be a worldwide large chain of hotels and resorts.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Hilton	Holiday Inn
Founded	It was founded on May 31, 1919.	It was founded on August 1, 1952.
Founders & first owners	Hilton Hotels & Resorts was founded by Conrad Hilton.	Holiday Inn was founded by Kemmons Wilson.
Product Quality	Hilton has more favorable product quality; 4/5.	Holiday Inn has less favorable product quality; 3.9/5.
Pricing	Here the ratings show that the pricing is more affordable in comparison with Holiday Inn; 4.1 /5.	Here the ratings show that the pricing is less affordable in comparison with Hilton; 3.6/5.
Customer Service	According to ratings, it has better customer service; 4.2/5.	According to ratings, it has a lower quality of customer service; 3.6/5.
Ownership	They are now a standalone company.	It is now a Subsidiary of the InterContinental Hotels Group.
Locations	More than 6,215 properties.	It has approximately 1,173 locations.

What is Hilton?

Conrad Hilton purchased the first hotel of the hotel chain in the year 1919. The hotel was located in Cisco, Texas, and had 40 rooms. He later purchased various hotels in Texas as the years passed.

The Hilton name was first used by the Dallas Hilton in 1925. Later on, during the expansion of the hotels, the hotel in Waco became the first-ever one to have air conditioning and cold running water.

Later on, Hilton expanded its boundaries in New York City by purchasing two well-established luxury hotels. Hilton Hotels Corporation was incorporated in 1946 and then traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange.

It was also one of the first hotels to have a television in the hotel rooms. During the period 1969 to 2009, the company’s headquarters were located in Beverly Hills, California.

Now, the Hilton Hotels Corporation is called Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., And it has its headquarters located in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

The multinational company now handles a worldwide portfolio of hotels and resorts. It has more than 6215 properties and 18 brands widely spread to different segments of the markets.

Christopher J. Nassetta is the present president and CEO.

What is Holiday Inn?

A hotel stay can be amazing if the service is good, but it can also turn into a huge disappointment if the service or location is not up to the expectations.

On a journey to Washington D.C. via roadways, a common resident of Tennessee thought of building his own chain of motels after being disappointed by the poor quality and inconsistency of the various roadside accommodations.

This man’s name was Kemmons Wilson, who founded Holiday Inn, now a worldwide known chain of hotels.

When the first hotel was being built, Wilson’s architect, Eddie Bluestein, suggested the name Holiday Inn as a joke.

A Christmas-themed musical film which starred Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire was the reference for this name. In August of 1952, their first hotel chain was opened. It was titled “Holiday Inn Hotel Courts.”

It was located at 4941 Summer Avenue in Memphis, which was later demolished in the year 1994.

At the beginning, between the period of 1950- 1970, the Holiday Inn’s sign was familiar on the highways of the United States, which also led to further expansion of the chain. This sign was popularly called the Great Sign.

It has other brands like Holiday Inn Select, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Garden Court, etc. 

Main Differences Between Hilton and Holiday Inn

1. Hilton Hotels & Resorts was founded on May 31, 1919. Holiday Inn was founded on August 1, 1952.
2. Hilton Hotels & Resorts was founded by Conrad Hilton. Holiday Inn was founded by Kemmons Wilson.
3. Hilton has a more favourable product quality: 4/5. Holiday Inn has less favourable product quality; 3.9/5.
4. For Hilton, the ratings show that the pricing is more affordable in comparison with Holiday Inn; 4.1 /5. For Holiday Inn, the ratings show that the pricing is less affordable in comparison with Hilton: 3.6/5.
5. According to ratings, Hilton has better customer service, 4.2/5. According to ratings, Holiday Inn has a lower quality of customer service, 3.6/5.
6. Hilton is now a standalone company. Holiday Inn is now a Subsidiary of the InterContinental Hotels Group.
7. Hilton has more than 6,215 properties. Holiday Inn has approximately 1,173 locations.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517714001459

Last Updated : 30 August, 2023