The History Of Hilton Hotels Began In The Town Of Cisco, Texas

By Alethea Nale 5 months ago

Posted in Texas History June 23, 2023 by Katie Lawrence



Posted in Texas
History June 23, 2023
by Katie Lawrence


I’m proud to be a Texan for so many reasons; not the least of which is how innovative our people are. From Dr Pepper to Dell computers, many inventions from Texas have changed the world – including the Hilton hotel brand. Founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton, the international hospitality corporation started from the humblest of beginnings in the small town of Cisco, Texas, which is located about two hours west of Dallas and has a population of roughly 4,000. The brand really paved the way for the hotel industry to flourish, and the history of Hilton Hotels is fascinating and inspiring.

Meet the man behind the world-famous Hilton brand: the late Conrad Hilton.

Born on Christmas Day in the New Mexico Territory city of San Antonio, the disillusioned New Mexico House of Representatives member made his way to Texas at the height of the oil boom with plans to purchase a bank.

The bank purchase didn’t pan out, but it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Instead, Hilton ended up buying the 40-room Mobley Hotel in the tiny town of Cisco in 1919; it was the best decision of his life.

With rooms turning over up to three times daily, the Mobley was a smashing success. The demand was so high, in fact, that the hotel’s dining room had to be converted into additional guest rooms.

In 1925, the first hotel under the Hilton name officially opened in downtown Dallas.

The state-of-the-art facility had elevators, air shafts, and laundry shoots – but no air conditioning, so no guest rooms were built facing west.

Hilton celebrated many “firsts” in the hotel business. It became the first coast-to-coast hotel chain in America in 1943 with the purchase of two New York City hotels…

…and was the first hotel company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the first hotel in the world with televisions in guest rooms, and the first hotel with a multi-hotel reservations system. In 1949, Hilton expanded internationally with the opening of the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico.

Today, Hilton is one of – if not the – biggest household names in the hotel industry.

With hotels in 76 countries across six continents, it is the largest full-service hotel chain on earth. There are nearly 600 Hilton hotels in operation today.

You can still visit the historic Mobley Hotel in Cisco, which is now a museum commemorating the life and times of Conrad Hilton as well as the history of Cisco as a whole.

The facility also has a meeting room that can be rented out for special events.

For more information about the history of Hilton Hotels, or to book a stay at a Hilton, visit the Hilton website.

Did you know the history of Hilton Hotels began in small-town Texas? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! If you do visit the old Mobley Hotel in Cisco, be sure to also check out this hike to an abandoned zoo. It’s equal parts creepy and fascinating!

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Address: Conrad N. Hilton Center & Museum, 309 Conrad Hilton Blvd, Cisco, TX 76437, USA

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