It has been a quarter filled with a series of signings capped with this week’s latest, news of its lifestyle brand, Motto by Hilton, arriving in Sydney in 2027. Daisy Melwani talks to Hilton’s Paul Hutton, Vice President APAC, Head of Australasia and South Pacific, on the group’s growth trajectory.

Paul, what is driving Hilton’s momentum across the region?

Hilton’s momentum across Australasia is being propelled by sustained travel demand and strong owner confidence, with domestic travel resilience and high‑yield international visitors powering growth – particularly in Australasia’s luxury and lifestyle segments.

Travellers are seeking authenticity, great design and a strong sense of place, while owners are increasingly choosing Hilton’s flexible management and franchising pathways supported by our global commercial engine and robust supply chain.

Focused‑service brands are also surging on the back of Asia Pacific’s expanding middle class, with regionally tailored models like Hilton Garden Inn resonating strongly in both major cities and high‑growth regional hubs.

This momentum reinforces APAC as one of Hilton’s most significant luxury growth regions globally, with Australia playing an outsized role thanks to its mature, design‑forward, globally connected traveller base.

What gap does Motto by Hilton fill in Australia, and where is the brand headed next?

Motto by Hilton fills a clear – and growing – gap in Australia for a design‑forward, value‑led urban lifestyle hotel that blends compact, flexible rooms with vibrant social spaces and a strong connection to the neighbourhood around it.

Today’s younger, experience‑driven travellers want to stay in the heart of the action and prioritise flexibility, community and great design over traditional notions of scale or formality. Sydney is the perfect launch point: a global gateway where energy, culture and connectivity shape the way people travel.

The York Street location places guests’ steps from waterfront and cultural precincts, supported by a rooftop bar, inventive food and beverage offerings and a highly flexible room mix including standard, bunk, flex and interconnecting options.

With its debut in Sydney, Motto enters the Australian market with a clear runway for growth. The brand’s micro‑hotel model is perfectly suited to dense, high‑energy urban hubs across the region, and its early success in APAC signals strong owner interest in expanding Motto into other culturally vibrant city centres.

Why was the former Palazzo Versace site the right fit for the new LXR Hotels and Resorts on the Gold Coast?

The Gold Coast is a destination defined by personality, creativity and a strong sense of place -making it an ideal home for LXR Hotels & Resorts, a brand dedicated to independent, design‑led properties rooted deeply in their surroundings.

The former Palazzo Versace site offers an extraordinary architectural legacy with its grand neoclassical design, Italian‑inspired interiors and a prime position along the Broadwater. It is a rare opportunity: a landmark property with strong existing character in one of Australia’s most lifestyle‑driven luxury markets.

Following its thoughtful renovation and relaunch in 2027, the hotel will bring LXR’s hallmark of bespoke luxury to the Gold Coast, creating a guest experience centred on individuality, destination storytelling and modern, immersive resort living.

What is Hilton’s luxury strategy for the region as Waldorf Astoria prepares to open in 2027?

Hilton’s luxury strategy in Australasia is focused on building a layered, world‑class portfolio that meets the evolving expectations of travellers across iconic urban centres and transformative leisure destinations – while deepening loyalty through Hilton Honors. In Australia, this strategy is coming to life through the introduction of three distinct brands – Waldorf Astoria Sydney, LXR Gold Coast and Motto Sydney – each catering to different guest mindsets, strengthening long‑term owner value and creating more aspirational opportunities for Hilton Honors members to earn and redeem points.

Waldorf Astoria Sydney, opening at Circular Quay, represents a major milestone for both Hilton and the city: a globally recognised luxury brand in one of the world’s most celebrated waterfront precincts. Its sophisticated, design‑led aesthetic and commitment to timeless service align perfectly with Sydney’s role on the global luxury map, further enriching the experiences available to our most loyal guests.

More broadly, with around 40% of Hilton’s global luxury pipeline concentrated in Asia Pacific, Australia plays a defining role in shaping future luxury and lifestyle growth for the region. Expanding brands like Waldorf Astoria, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Motto by Hilton in this mature, globally connected market not only strengthens our portfolio but also elevates the value proposition of Hilton Honors. Luxury and lifestyle brands are central to driving engagement within the program – offering more compelling stays, more meaningful redemption opportunities and even greater benefits as we continue to expand partnerships, including our collaboration with Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

How does Hilton see expansion outside capital cities, such as with HGI Ipswich and Hilton Palm Cove?

Hilton sees enormous opportunity in Australia’s fast‑growing regional centres, where population growth, infrastructure investment and rising visitor demand are reshaping the accommodation landscape. Our strategy is to grow where people are living, working and travelling – not just in capital cities. Hilton Garden Inn Ipswich exemplifies this approach: a new‑build, 160‑room hotel positioned in the heart of the CBD and adjacent to the revitalised Nicholas Street Precinct.

It reflects our confidence in Ipswich’s transformation ahead of Brisbane 2032 and our belief in the strength of modern, efficient, design‑led focused‑service hotels in dynamic regional markets. In Far North Queensland, Hilton Palm Cove Cairns Resort and Spa expands our resort presence in a high‑value leisure destination, adding diversity to our national footprint and complementing our growth in both urban and regional markets.

What can we expect from Hilton’s APAC development pipeline in the years ahead?

Hilton continues to lead as Asia Pacific’s fastest‑growing hotel company, with nearly one in four hotel rooms under construction carrying a Hilton flag and a pipeline approaching 1,000 hotels across luxury, lifestyle, full‑service and focused‑service categories. In Australasia, the momentum will accelerate with upcoming openings including Waldorf Astoria Sydney, DoubleTree by Hilton Auckland, Hilton Garden Inn Brisbane, Hilton Garden Inn Suva and Hilton Garden Inn Kingswood.

Across APAC, owner interest in luxury and lifestyle brands continues to surge, underpinning a robust pipeline that will expand Hilton’s luxury and lifestyle presence by at least 50%, setting the company on track to surpass 250 such hotels in the region.

With Australia serving as a critical growth engine – home to travellers who consistently set regional benchmarks for design, experience and authenticity – Hilton is building a portfolio that reflects where travel in Asia Pacific is heading next.