Love one another, for that is the whole law; so our
fellow men deserve to be loved and encouraged—never to be abandoned to
wander alone in poverty and darkness. The practice of charity will bind
us—will bind all men in one great brotherhood.
— Conrad Nicholson Hilton, in his legacy
Perhaps it's due to the "financial" hoops one must jump through when playing
the popular board game, Monopoly, in order to buy a hotel. Perhaps due to the
fact that even in this day and age, hotel living is either a necessity of
corporate travel or a privilege reserved for the wealthy, mention the name of a
successful hotelier and it evokes a feeling of envy in some, awe in others.
Names like Astor, J. Willard Marriott, and more
recently Trump, and Schraeger epitomize wealth and
fame, but no other man in the business of hospitality was more famous than
Conrad Hilton. An investigation into the life of Conrad Hilton reveals
contradiction, eccentricity and a controversial legacy.
Humble Beginnings on the American Frontier
Conrad Nicholson Hilton was born on Christmas day, 1887 in the U.S.
territory that was to become New Mexico. His father was a Norwegian immigrant;
his mother was, at least partially, of German descent. Hilton had seven
siblings.
Hilton's colorful life began with an elementary education at a military
academy in New Mexico, as well as studies at the College of Santa Fe, and New
Mexico Tech. By the time he was 21 he was a representative in the nascent
legislature of the new U.S. state of New Mexico.
He served his country in World War I, achieving the rank of Second
Lieutenant. His father passed away in an automobile wreck while Hilton was
serving in Europe.
The First Hotels - Good Times, Hard Times
After returning from the war, Hilton moved to oil-rich Texas to seek his
fortune. Instead of him finding a deal, the deal found him. He purchased the
Mobley hotel in Cisco, Texas for very little money because the owner was so fed
up with the business of running it he just wanted to get rid of it. Hilton
succeeded at turning what was essentially a filthy flophouse into a respectable
hotel, and turned a profit by doing it. His second venture (the first one with
the Hilton name on it) was a high-rise either Dallas or El Paso, whichever of
this article's sources you trust. That hotel was built ca. 1925.
Business went well for the amicable, determined businessman. He earned the
trust and respect of most of the people he did business with. By the time of
the depression, he had assembled a group of hotels aimed at
businessmen. Hilton lost a lot of money, many of his properties, and had to put
building plans for new properties on hold. The trust and affection of his
suppliers and workers got projects finished, however. A man of his word, both he
and those who trusted that he'd succeed prospered (they'd extend him credit for
supplies and services until he could pay).
Marriage
Despite being a devout Catholic, he divorced his first wife, Mary Adelaide
Barron, in 1934 (in the midst of his Depression-related financial difficulties).
He'd married Mary Barron in 1925. Barron had borne him three sons; Conrad
Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton (born 1926), William Barron "Barron" Hilton (born 1927)
and Eric Michael Hilton (born in 1932). One source for this article, an
unauthorized history of the Hilton family, describes Mary Barron Hilton as a
woman 20 years Hilton's junior, married as a teenager, a hard drinker and a
gambler with an eccentric, self-centered personality.
"Nicky" Hilton was a drinker like his mother, with a hot temper and a
tendency to get into fisticuffs. Regardless, he was the first to wed Elizabeth
Taylor although their marriage lasted a mere three years. Barron Hilton was the
one groomed to take the reigns of the hotel empire from his father, which he
did.
Conrad Hilton's second wife was Zsa Zsa Gabor, the one-time actress (who is
a prime example of one who's famous merely for being famous). Together they had
a daughter, Constance. Constance Francesca Hilton was the only daughter born to
any of the famous Gabor sisters. Hilton and Gabor were married briefly; from
1942 to 1946. The newspapers, legitimate and gossip-column alike, had a
veritable field day with the divorce of the tremendously wealthy hotelier from
the Hollywood gadfly.
Hilton wouldn't marry again until 1976, when he married Frances Kelly (also
far younger than he). They remained married until Hilton's death in 1979.
Milestones
Conrad Hilton bought the famous Plaza Hotel on Central Park South in New York
City in 1945, and created the legendary dining room The Oak Room (and the Oak
Bar). It was not policy to allow women in for week-day lunch. Well, the
National Organization for Women figured that invading this men-only bastion
would be a fabulous opportunity for publicity and a test case. Betty Friedan
and a few other supporters of women's liberation bowled over the maitre d' and
sat down in 1969 but were not served. In fact, the maitre d' ordered a waiter to
physically remove their table. The women sat there in a circle, however, long
enough to make all concerned feel rather uncomfortable. A man seated nearby
offered a breadstick. They finally left but set-up a picket line outside. Four
months later the Oak Room changed its policy.
The Plaza was also the location of writer Truman Capote's
famous 1966 "Black and White Ball," raved about by gossip-columnists and agreed
by many to have been the party of the Century. When asked why Capote chose the
ball room at the Plaza, he quipped "It's the only ballroom left in the City."
The exclusivity and decadence of that single evening also paved the way for the
protracted hedonism which became the infamous night spot opened in 1977, Studio
54.
By 1946 the Hilton Hotel Corporation was founded. Beside San Francisco's
Drake Hotel, and the famous Palmer House in Chicago, Hilton considered the
"Crown Jewel" in his hotel collection New York's Waldorf-Astoria, which he
acquired in 1949. The Waldorf is just as exquisitely luxurious as the Plaza, but
it's peculiar that Hilton favored the plainly-built Waldorf over the opulent
excess of the Plaza's architecture, not to mention its superior view of Central
Park and Grand Army Plaza.
1957 saw the publication of his autobiography, "Be My Guest." A copy of that
book, as well as a Gideon's Bible, are placed in the night-stand of every Hilton
organization hotel room worldwide. "Be My Guest" is a fascinatingly candid read
about a man and his struggles as well as successes. He credits God with giving
him the strength to endure hard times, and the grace to share his wealth
charitably.
In 1964 Conrad sold the rights to the Hilton name to a British company, which
named itself the Hilton Group. To this day, the two entirely separate companies
enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship, sharing logos and service marks, and
promoting each others' properties.
Conrad's son "Barron" Hilton was made President of the Hilton Hotels
Corporation in 1966. Conrad stayed on as CEO until his death in 1979. When
Barron joined the company there were hundreds of Hiltons nationwide.
The End of An Era
Conrad Hilton passed away in January of 1979. The bulk of his estate was
given to The Catholic Church and the Conrad Hilton Foundation,
dedicated to philanthropy. His will left a mere six-figure amount to his
offspring, and $10,000 each to his nieces and nephews. Hilton had endowed a
school of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Houston University and also donated
a building to the Business Education department of Loyola Marymount University.
There is a humanitarian prize bearing his name, which he endowed as well.
Perhaps his heavy giving to the Catholic church was meant to ensure the
thrice-married Hilton a place in Heaven nonetheless.
Barron Hilton contested
the will, and won after a nine year battle. His contention that as President of
Hilton Hotels alongside his father, he was instrumental in the corporation's
growth. The court agreed; Barron was now worth over $300
million.
After his death Hilton's vice president for communications told an
interviewer, “He envisioned a world where acts of hospitality built bridges
between people and even nations—hospitality as almost a social, respectful form
of love; consideration, charity, and respect given unconditionally from one
person to another. And there is no better place than the hotel business to
become a beacon to encourage greater hospitality between people.”
Always ahead of the curve, The Hilton chain recently set up a group of
ultra-deluxe hotels, naming them "Conrad" hotels after their founder. These
hotels will help Hilton compete with deluxe and "boutique" independents which
have popped up all over the country. Before the Conrad group was set up, many
larger Hilton hotels had a two-tier room system, with deluxe rooms on the upper
floors, and an exclusive lounge featuring complimentary light food and a bar for
members of their unique Hilton HHonors VIP system.
HHonors is singular in the industry in that they allow guests to earn points
toward hotel stays while earning frequent-flyer miles on Hilton's partner
airlines. They advertise this as "double-dipping." It's the most
successful loyalty program in the history of the hospitality industry.
Even though first published in 1957, Hilton's book, "Be My Guest" is a quick
read filled with sage advice about everything from how to comport oneself to the
ins and outs of success in the corporate jungle. Its advice is as relevant today
as it was fifty years ago. To read it is to get to know Hilton and a way of
thinking and living that's commendable.
"That" Girl
No biography of Conrad Hilton would be complete without discussing some of
the more notorious members of the Hilton family. Now, Conrad Hilton's offspring
followed in their father's footsteps by marrying very beautiful,
very young women. Barron and his wife were the parents of Rick Hilton. Rick
married his wife Kathleen when she was still in her teens. The couple proceeded
to turn the otherwise rather staid Hilton family topsy-turvy with their pedantic
behavior and acts of hedonism.
Just one interesting anecdote: An unauthorized book about the Hilton family mentions that even though Barron
Hilton had strict rules forbidding any special treatment to Hilton family
members, Rick and Kathleen showed up one night at the New York Hilton during
holiday season. The hotel was full; every room taken, but for a suite rented on
a long-term basis by a chemical company. Rick, Kathleen and then-toddler
daughters Paris and Nicky were allowed the use of
the suite so long as they'd vacate by Monday morning.
Vacate they did, leaving behind a mess that took the breath away from the
hotel's staff. Their pet lap dogs had been put in a spare bedroom in the suite
and had not been let out all weekend. There were feces and urine all over the
creamy white carpeting which took a very expensive professional service to get
out. Worse, Kathleen Hilton ran roughshod over the staff, barking out orders and
running up a room-service tab in the thousands of dollars. The staff was too
afraid to let Barron Hilton in on any of these goings on. Similar scenes were
repeated worldwide.
Not unlike her step-grandmother, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Paris is, currently, arguably the most
famous person who's famous for, well, being famous. Paris's misbehaviors and
troubles have now far eclipsed those of her grandfather, "Nick" Hilton,
hard-drinking, hard-gambling first husband of Elizabeth Taylor.
In defense of Paris, she never was given the love or attention a child needs
while growing up because, frankly, Rick and Kathleen liked to go out a lot.
Paris grew up spending time equally with nannies and concerned relatives, who'd
occasionally be left with Paris on the spur of the moment, without Kathleen
leaving so much as a bottle or diapers.
One can only imagine the prim, proper and reserved Conrad spinning in his
grave at the thought that money he'd intended to leave to the Catholic Church
and other charities is now being spent by his great-granddaughter shopping on
Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California or vacationing on the French
Riviera.
ADDENDUM 9/28/08: Jackie Gleason has a favorite joke that goes: I heard Conrad Hilton is going to buy the leaning tower of Pisa. You know what he's gonna call it? {pause} The "tiltin' Hilton."
SOURCES:
- Conrad Hilton (biography) at Answers.com (uncredited)
http://www.answers.com/topic/conrad-hilton (Accessed 12/7/2007)
- Conrad Hilton (biography) at who2.com (uncredited)
http://www.who2.com/conradhilton.html (Accessed 12/7/2007)
- Conrad Hilton (biography) at Wikipedia.com (collaboratively-written)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Nicholson_Hilton (Accessed 12/7/2007)
- "House of Hilton," (an unauthorized biography), Oppenheimer, Jerry; New York,
Random House 2006 (excerpt from the book)
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307351951
(Accessed 12/7/2007)
- "Be My Guest," Hilton, Conrad; New York, Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0130715980
- Review: "Be My Guest" by David Thompson, May 26, 2006,
http://www.dwlt.net/archives/2006/05/26/BeMyGuest (Accessed 12/7/2007)
- "Conrad Hilton's Secret of Success" by Erin Gaetz, Website of
American
Heritage,
http://www.americanheritage.com/people/articles/web/20060802-conrad-hilton-paris-hilton-hotel-waldorf-astoria-barron-catholicism.shtml
(Accessed 12/7/2007)
- "What Would Eloise Say?" by Curtis Gathje, The New York Times, January
16, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/opinion/opinionspecial/16gathje.html
(Accessed 12/7/2007)
- Snippet of Hilton Hotels history from Scripophily, addenda to a sale of a
vintage Hilton stock certificate:
http://www.scripophily.net/hilhotcor.html (Accessed 12/8/2007)