Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta: Skift Global Forum — Full Video

04.10.2023 - 12:59 / skift.com / Ed Bastian / Christopher Nassetta / Delta Airlines / Sean Oneill / Chris Nassetta

Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO of the hotel giant Hilton Worldwide, last week highlighted his company’s move to display mandatory fees, such as resort fees, upfront when a consumer first searches on the group’s website and app.

But Nassetta also called for national legislation to ensure “an even playing field.” He wants online travel agencies and price-comparison sites to be required to display resort fees and other junk fees upfront.

Nassetta made the comments at Skift Global Forum 2023 in New York City on September 26. [See the video and transcript below.]

Nassetta also discussed his top few goals as chairperson of the lobbying group U.S. Travel; his views on whether we’ve hit “Peak Alternative Accommodations”; and his thoughts on Hilton’s new brands, including economy brand Spark. (Hint: He wants to take advantage of what he called a giant, decade-long opportunity in the mid-market.)

Chris Nassetta: I was saying to Rafat and Sean, I love this event. It’s my favorite thing to do
every year. Thank you for having me.

Sean O’Neill: We’re really grateful you’re here.

Nassetta: I always love seeing you bring these potato-chip chairs everywhere you go. I think I sat in these same chairs at Jazz at Lincoln Center and at the TWA Hotel [past venues for Skift Global Forum].

O’Neill: We’re taking audience questions. So if you want to use the app, we’ll get to them at the end.

Nassetta: You didn’t tell me about that. It’s a good surprise. I like audience participation. How’s
everybody doing today? Good? Got energy? Did they open the bar yet? No? I tried. I tried to do you a solid. I said, listen, if you want me to talk at five, you need to open the bar at four. Right? Because it’s late in the day.

O’Neill: You know, earlier this month, Delta Airlines said they wanted to have a new strategic officer. They chose Tom Brady, the footballer. And I’m wondering whether Hilton is considering hiring a strategic advisor. Maybe Taylor Swift or Beyoncé.

Nassetta: [Delta CEO] Ed Bastian’s a friend of mine, and I watched him on CNBC. I texted him afterward because he didn’t get a lot of air time on CNBC. Did you see that? I’m sorry. It was like all Tom Brady. Nobody was interested in Ed, which made sense to me. You know, Ed’s a good-looking guy, but Tom’s a lot better-looking and has some pretty good rap with him, too.

So we already have our own celebrity strategic advisor in Paris Hilton. Paris is, you know, it’s a long story. Obviously, we share a name for many years, the family, when they sold the business, when I came in, it was a public company. The family owned a big chunk of it. Paris didn’t own any of it, but the
foundation did.

So the Hilton family has not been involved in the ownership of the business for a