Hilton veteran Phil Cordell is retiring after 40 years at the company, transitioning to an advisor role effective this July. The company announced that Cordell will serve as a mentor and coach, providing guidance and support to the Hilton team.
Cordell began his career as a bellman with Hilton while in high school, eventually becoming general manager of the second Hampton Hotel in 1983. He went on to lead Hilton’s All Suites and Focused Service brands for more than 20 years, including growing Hampton by Hilton brand into one of the largest lodging brands in the world.
Cordell helped open the first Hampton hotel in China in 2015. When he completed his 35-year tenure as head of Hampton, the brand included over 2,300 hotels in 29 countries.
In addition to Hampton, Cordell has been a driving force behind the success of several Hilton hospitality brands throughout his career, including Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, and Homewood Suites. In his most recent role as Global Head of Lifestyle and New Brand Development, Phil led the creation and launch of Home2 Suites, Tru, Motto, Tempo, and Spark. Spark marked the fastest announcement-to-market brand in Hilton’s history.
