Conrad Hilton entered the hospitality industry in 1919 in Texas after choosing to purchase a 40-room hotel instead of buying a bank. In 1925, the first hotel bearing the Hilton name was opened in Dallas. Today, the brand counts nearly 7,400 properties across the world, with 1.1 million rooms spanning 124 countries and territories.
Mid-century Barron Hilton launched the Hilton Carte Blanche credit card, which was the premier travel card of the era. In the 1990s, Hilton became....