For all that the Waldorf-Astoria and Conrad Hotels brands represent, one thing the popular luxury brands are without is saturation. Intentional or not, that’s about to change.
John Vanderslice, named global head of luxury and lifestyle brands for Hilton Worldwide in late 2009, believes Hilton may be the “fastest growing luxury hotel company in the world,” citing a healthy pipeline of 15 Conrad and 14 Waldorf-Astoria locations globally.
Luxury is critical to Hilton, Vanderslice said. Only 6% of Hilton’s total rooms are in the luxury brands, but they account for 15% of revenue. His job is to not only grow the brands, but to distinguish the two brands from each other–and from their long list of competitors.
While both brands will grow globally, Conrad, with its strong Asian base, will grow more internationally while Waldorf-Astoria will be more Americas-focused. Many hotels in both brands will be newly built, though both are open to conversions.
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