Brand Dossier

Hilton Hotels and Resorts

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Rank #115 on Entrepreneur 2026Lodging2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
About the Brand

About Hilton Hotels and Resorts

Hilton Franchise Holding LLC franchises hotels operating under the Hilton Brand, including under the names Hilton, Hilton Suites, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, which it describes as first-class, full service upper upscale hotels. Franchisees license the Hilton System, which includes the Hilton marks, access to the Reservation Service, advertising and marketing programs, training programs, and standards and specifications for construction, furnishing, operation, appearance, and service of the hotel. Hilton hotels cater to business travelers, families, vacationers, and groups depending on location, and compete with national and international hotel and motel chains and independently operated local hotels and restaurants offering similar rooms and food and beverage services. Franchisees may also add an optional eforea spa or a Restaurant Brand food and beverage outlet to the hotel under separate amendments to the franchise agreement.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$50,838,762 to $213,337,458
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$85,000
Development fee: $150,000 change of ownership; $85,000 relicensing; $25,000 eforea spa initial fee; $75,000 restaurant brand development services.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
9%
9% of Gross Rooms Revenue for room royalty plus Monthly Program Fee, plus 3% of Gross Food and Beverage Revenue, 2%...
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Disclosed (hotel metrics)
The disclosed ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, coverage, and read are included in Pro.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

Already a Pro member?Read the full dossier →
ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 8 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $85,000 plus $400 for each additional guest room or suite over 250 (Item 5, p.16). FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee $150,000 change of ownership; $85,000 relicensing; $25,000 eforea spa initial fee; $75,000 restaurant brand development services FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee 5% of Gross Rooms Revenue, plus 3% of Gross Food and Beverage Revenue and 2% of Gross Spa Revenue if Spa Amendment is in effect. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $50,838,762 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $213,337,458 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Pro FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 188 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 0 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +1 FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
Lock In My Founding Rate
The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Fee terms are disclosed in Item 6. The full ongoing fee burden and the supporting math are included in Pro.

Unit Economics
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Item 19 reports competitive-benchmark and loyalty-contribution metrics rather than absolute room revenue. The figures and read are included in Pro.

Litigation History
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

FDD Item 3 discloses 8 actions. Case names, allegations, procedural posture, and source quotes are locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

The system held 188 franchised hotels in 2025, with 8 agreements signed but not yet open.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

The franchise term runs roughly two decades for new construction and shorter for conversions, with no right to renew or extend. Re-licensing after expiration is fully discretionary and can require a property improvement plan. Transfer consent, a franchisor right of first offer, and a franchisor option to purchase a marketed interest are disclosed, and there is no post-term non-compete.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
Lock In My Founding Rate
Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Hilton Hotels and Resorts has an Item 19 disclosure, but it does not provide one standard combined unit figure for Free to display. The disclosed ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, coverage, and read are included in Pro.

Disclosed (hotel metrics)

The disclosed ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, coverage, and read are included in Pro. No combined figure is invented or exposed on Free.

What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Detail Locked
Pro reveals the filing's actual disclosure shape, coverage, ranges, and the Zorzee read without inventing a combined unit average.
Lock In My Founding Rate
Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
188
Latest sourced FDD year
Franchised
188
FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
0
FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+1
Latest total-system change
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
189
2023
187
2024
188
2025

Hilton Hotels and Resorts trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
Lock In My Founding Rate
Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

8 actions disclosed in FDD Item 3. Case-level detail remains locked in Pro.

Case 01
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 02
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 03
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters before signing.
Lock In My Founding Rate
Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Hilton Hotels and Resorts: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
Lock In My Founding Rate

Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Hilton Hotels and Resorts costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

Already a Pro member?Read the full dossier →
Lock In the Zorzee Pro Founding Rate
$9/month
A Pro membership. Cancel anytime.
This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
Your Pro Membership
  • The Zorzee Report Pro every Tuesday, one franchise decoded each week
  • The full Signal Tracker across the portal
  • The Zorzee Files: FDD guides, DCF templates, and pro forma models
Lock In My Founding Rate

Four months of research and more confused than when you started?

You've seen the filings and the numbers. What none of it tells you is whether this is a business that fits your money and your life. That is what fifteen minutes with a Zorzee-approved independent Franchise Consultant is for: whether this brand belongs on your shortlist, and what to validate before it does. Working with one costs you nothing and carries no obligation. Your franchise fee is the same whether you use one or not.

Book My Free Zorzee Clarity Call
How does the consultant get paid, and is your analysis really neutral?

A Zorzee-approved Franchise Consultant never charges you. A franchisor pays the consultant a commission only if and when you decide to invest in a franchise they introduced you to. The analysis on this page earned nothing the moment you read it, no matter what you do next. That firewall is structural, not a promise: Zorzee's editorial earns no commission from franchise placements.

Zorzee earns no commission from franchise placements.

Related Dossiers

Compare the Category

More for Pro readers: Browse the Signal Tracker library, get The Zorzee Report Pro, and access The Zorzee Files.