Name: Rob Palleschi
Title: Global head
Company, city: Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide; McLean, Va.
Number of employees: 145,000
Recent project: In 2013, we launched our Vacationitis campaign, which targets working professionals who are familiar with Hilton Hotels & Resorts through business travel; we aim to increase their awareness of the brand’s incredible leisure travel offerings with our playful and bold workforce humor campaign. Travelers can take a short quiz at vacationcarecenter.hilton.com to receive their diagnosis and a prescription to cure their “vacationitis.”
First job: Front desk employee at a suburban motor lodge
Little-known fact about you: I am a hotel fitness center snob; I expect ample modern commercial equipment; a positive atmosphere; bright, good air movement; and a fresh scent.

Your Business

Essential business philosophy: The Hilton brand promise is to ensure every guest feels cared for, valued and respected.

Best way to keep a competitive edge: As the world’s leading hotel brand, Hilton is a relevant, forward-thinking global leader in the hospitality industry. A key part of my job is to ensure we continue to move forward with our innovative thinking and push the limits of our strategies, products and services.

Yardstick of success: The feedback from guests, whether in person, online or through social media, is an important measure of success. Above all else, we strive to lead the hospitality industry in providing exceptional experiences to every guest around the world.

Rob Palleschi as a Traveler

What is the most important item you take when traveling? On my international trips, it’s my passport; I protect it like the Hope Diamond. I also travel with multiple plugs, power converters, solar chargers and battery packs. My electronics will never go dry.

How do you spend your time on board? I immediately adjust my time to my destination, which requires a bit of sleep on international flights. I also use the “quiet time” on planes to knock out as much work as possible.

What is your favorite restaurant in the world? With so many great restaurants, I can’t pick just one. As long as I am with family and friends during that meal, it is my favorite restaurant.

What is your favorite destination in the world? If it has a beach, it is a vacation!

About Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Three Hilton resorts won awards in our inaugural Leisure Travel Awards. What makes Hilton resorts stand out? Our Hilton Resorts portfolio consists of more than 75 stunning resort properties in 28 countries, with more than 15 new properties in development. From Caribe Hilton, the brand’s first international property (1949) to Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort (Waikiki’s largest and most iconic resort since 1961), Hilton Resorts has set the standard the world over and shaped the experiences guests have come to expect.

What are Hilton’s expansion plans for 2014 and beyond? We have more than 120 properties in the development pipeline. In 2014, our Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand alone plans to open hotels in destinations including China, Japan, Brazil, Panama, Portugal, Turkey, Mexico and the United States.

What is the most challenging aspect of appealing to business and upscale travelers? Hilton has a rich tradition of providing exceptional experiences for business and leisure travelers, and we aim to provide amenities that cater to both types of travelers. Not only do we push innovation forward for our business travelers by offering concepts such as the Hilton Connectivity Station, Technology Lounge and lobby designs, but our hotels and resorts are also situated in prime locations for our leisure travelers. It is exciting to see our brand concepts and offerings roll out at many of our properties, and it would be great to offer these at even more hotels around the world.