DoubleTree by Hilton

DoubleTree by Hilton is an international upscale, full-service hotel brand operated within Hilton’s portfolio. Its history began with the opening of the first Doubletree Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1969. The property was built on the grounds of Scottsdale Fashion Square, and the early brand subsequently developed through a mixture of hotel ownership, management, acquisitions, reflagging, and franchise growth rather than through a single uniform development model. The brand’s corporate structure changed significantly during the 1990s. In December 1993, Doubletree Hotels Corporation merged with the Guest Quarters Hotels Partnership of Boston. The acquired all-suite properties were subsequently presented under the Doubletree Guest Suites name. In December 1997, Doubletree merged with Promus Hotel Corporation, bringing Doubletree into a larger hotel group that also included Red Lion, Hampton Inn, and Embassy Suites. Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Promus in December 1999, placing Doubletree within the Hilton family. Hilton later expanded and repositioned the brand internationally. DoubleTree competes in the full-service hotel segment and is positioned between economy or limited-service accommodation and higher-end luxury brands. Its target customers include business travelers, leisure travelers, groups, and guests attending meetings, conventions, weddings, and other events. Typical properties provide guest rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, meeting facilities, fitness amenities, event space, and, depending on the location, resort or destination-specific services. The brand is complementary to Hilton Hotels & Resorts but has its own identity and service language. Its most recognizable brand feature is the warm chocolate chip cookie traditionally offered to arriving guests. The cookies originated as a welcome amenity for VIPs in the early 1980s and were later extended to all guests. For many years, the cookies were produced by Nashville-based Christie Cookie Company. The welcome cookie functions as both a hospitality ritual and a highly distinctive piece of consumer branding. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, DoubleTree publicized a home version of the recipe, allowing consumers to recreate the product outside its hotels. In October 2010, Hilton introduced the current name and identity, replacing the older “Doubletree” presentation with “DoubleTree by Hilton.” This change aligned the brand more visibly with Hilton’s global architecture while retaining its established name recognition. DoubleTree’s growth has relied heavily on attracting existing hotels to change their flags and enter the Hilton system. This approach can allow owners to upgrade or reposition properties at lower cost than constructing entirely new hotels, although the resulting portfolio includes a diverse range of buildings, locations, ownership structures, and operating arrangements. According to figures reported for December 2019, the brand had 587 properties and 135,745 rooms across 47 countries and territories. Of those properties, 122 were managed hotels with 35,122 rooms, while 465 were franchised hotels with 100,623 rooms. These figures illustrate the importance of franchising to the brand’s scale. DoubleTree was described as Hilton’s fastest-growing brand by property count from 2007 onward and by room count from 2007 through 2015. Current global totals may differ, and no later total is asserted here without a directly supporting source. The brand has also pursued visibility through distinctive experiences and unusual property stories. In November 2019, cookie dough associated with DoubleTree was baked aboard the International Space Station by European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, an event promoted as the first cookie baked in space. DoubleTree properties occupy both purpose-built hotels and adapted historic or landmark buildings, including former schools, manor houses, theaters, and historic urban hotels. The brand remains an a…

DoubleTree’s origins trace to the opening of the first Doubletree Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1969. The hotel was built by Sam Kitchell on the grounds of Scottsdale Fashion Square. The early business developed as a hotel chain rather than as a product brand, with its identity attached to lodging operations, guest service, and later the conversion of existing hotels into the system. A major structural step occurred in December 1993, when Doubletree Hotels Corporation merged with the Guest Quarters Hotels Partnership of Boston. The all-suite properties acquired through that transaction were rebranded as Doubletree Guest Suites hotels, extending the brand into a suite-oriented format. In December 1997, Doubletree Corporation merged with Promus Hotel Corporation. That combination brought together Doubletree, Red Lion, Hampton Inn, and Embassy Suites under one corporate group. Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Promus Hotel Corporation in December 1999. As a result, Doubletree and the other Promus brands entered Hilton’s portfolio. The later Hilton organization, commonly referred to as Hilton Worldwide, used the brand alongside Hilton Hotels & Resorts and its other lodging concepts. DoubleTree remained focused on the full-service segment, with hotels serving both individual travelers and groups through rooms, food and beverage, meeting facilities, and location-specific amenities. From 2007 onward, DoubleTree was identified as Hilton’s fastest-growing brand by number of properties, and it was also the fastest-growing by rooms during the period from 2007 to 2015. Its expansion model emphasized persuading operators of existing hotels to adopt the DoubleTree flag. This differed from a development strategy centered primarily on newly built hotels. The model offered owners a way to enter Hilton’s distribution and loyalty ecosystem while making targeted investments to meet brand requirements. Consequently, the portfolio has included a broad range of urban, airport, resort, convention, historic, and adapted buildings. In October 2010, Hilton refreshed the chain’s name and visual identity as “DoubleTree by Hilton.” The revised naming connected the brand more directly to Hilton while preserving the DoubleTree name. The brand’s most visible service ritual is the complimentary chocolate chip cookie offered to arriving guests. The cookie began as a welcome item for VIPs in the early 1980s and was later distributed to all guests. Christie Cookie Company of Nashville produced the cookies for more than three decades, according to the reference material. The amenity became central to the brand’s consumer recognition and marketing. DoubleTree’s global footprint was reported at 587 properties and 135,745 rooms in 47 countries and territories as of December 2019. The reported total consisted of 122 managed properties with 35,122 rooms and 465 franchised properties with 100,623 rooms. The figures demonstrate the scale of the franchise model and should be understood as a dated snapshot rather than a current count. The brand has occupied many notable buildings. Examples include the historic DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole in England, the former Don Bosco Technical High School in Boston, the Fort Shelby Hotel in Detroit, the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, the Hotel Utica in New York State, and Etruria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent. Some properties previously operated under competing flags or other Hilton brands, illustrating the chain’s emphasis on conversion and rebranding. In 2019, DoubleTree-associated cookie dough was baked aboard the International Space Station by ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano using a prototype oven. In 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis, the brand released a recipe adapted for home preparation, extending its signature hospitality symbol into consumers’ homes. Labor relations also became a reported subject in 2024, when strikes and subsequent contract developments were associated with several properties. DoubleTree continues as an active international Hilton hotel brand.

• 2024

  Labor disputes and contract developments

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  Strikes and contract developments are reported at several DoubleTree properties in the United States.

• 2020

  Home cookie recipe released

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  The brand publishes a version of its cookie recipe for home baking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2019

  Cookie baked in space

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  Luca Parmitano bakes DoubleTree cookie dough aboard the International Space Station in a prototype oven.

• 2010

  Brand renamed DoubleTree by Hilton

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  Hilton introduces a refreshed name and identity, replacing the older “Doubletree” presentation with “DoubleTree by Hilton.”

• 2007

  Rapid growth accelerates

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  DoubleTree becomes Hilton’s fastest-growing brand by property count from this period, with room-count leadership reported through 2015.

• 1999

  Hilton acquires Promus

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  Hilton Hotels Corporation acquires Promus Hotel Corporation, bringing Doubletree into the Hilton portfolio.

• 1997

  Doubletree merges with Promus

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  Doubletree Corporation merges with Promus Hotel Corporation, joining a group that also includes Red Lion, Hampton Inn, and Embassy Suites.

• 1993

  Merger with Guest Quarters

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  Doubletree Hotels Corporation merges with the Guest Quarters Hotels Partnership; acquired all-suite properties become Doubletree Guest Suites hotels.

• 1980

  Chocolate chip cookie welcome develops

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  The signature cookie begins as a welcome amenity for VIP guests and is later extended to the wider guest population.

• 1969

  First Doubletree Inn opens in Scottsdale

  [1]DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org

  The first Doubletree Inn opens in Scottsdale, Arizona, on the grounds of Scottsdale Fashion Square.

An upscale full-service hotel brand for business, leisure, group, and event travelers, combining dependable Hilton distribution with a warmer, more approachable hospitality identity.

• Hotel accommodation · 1969

  DoubleTree by Hilton hotels

  The core offering is upscale, full-service lodging delivered through managed and franchised hotels. Properties range from urban and airport hotels to resorts, convention-oriented buildings, and converted historic structures. Accommodation is typically supported by restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, fitness facilities, and location-specific leisure or business amenities.

• Hotel accommodation · 1993

  DoubleTree Guest Suites

  Doubletree Guest Suites was used for all-suite properties acquired through the 1993 combination with the Guest Quarters Hotels Partnership. The format extended the brand into suite-focused lodging and represents an important stage in the chain’s pre-Hilton corporate history.

• Hospitality amenity · 1980

  Chocolate chip cookie welcome

  The complimentary chocolate chip cookie is DoubleTree’s signature guest amenity. It began as a VIP welcome in the early 1980s and became a standard arrival ritual. Produced for many years by Christie Cookie Company, it serves as a tangible expression of the brand’s welcoming positioning and a widely recognized marketing asset.

• Hospitality services

  Meetings and events

  Many DoubleTree properties provide meeting, conference, wedding, banquet, and group-travel services. The exact scale differs by hotel, but the full-service model allows the brand to serve corporate groups, social events, conventions, and destination gatherings in addition to individual overnight guests.

• 2020

  DoubleTree by Hilton controversy note: Hotel brands sued over alleged human trafficking at Texas properties

  Human trafficking victims filed three federal lawsuits in December against hotel brands linked to Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Choice Hotels, alleging trafficking at Texas hotels and failures to prevent it. The claims are allegations; the article does not report a court determination.

  Source

• 2019

  Guest files lawsuit over removal from DoubleTree hotel

  Jermaine Massey's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the hotel chain, alleging that Massey, a Black guest staying at a DoubleTree hotel in Oregon, was ousted from the hotel for using his cellphone in the lobby to call his mother.

  Source

Read more

• 2020DoubleTree Cookie Recipe

  United States · International

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, DoubleTree released a home-adapted recipe for its chocolate chip cookies, allowing consumers to recreate a recognizable hotel experience while travel was disrupted.

  Outcome. Extended the brand experience beyond hotel properties and supported consumer engagement during a period of reduced travel.

  Source
• 2019Cookie in Space

  International

  DoubleTree connected its signature cookie with a spaceflight publicity event when ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano baked the brand’s cookie dough aboard the International Space Station.

  Outcome. Generated distinctive international attention around the cookie amenity.

  Source

• 2010

  Rebrand as DoubleTree by HiltonStrategy

  Background

  Hilton sought to align the established Doubletree identity more closely with its parent brand architecture.

  Action taken

  The chain adopted the name and identity “DoubleTree by Hilton.”

  Aftermath

  The revised presentation made the Hilton relationship more explicit while preserving the DoubleTree name.

  Source

• 2007

  Conversion-led expansionStrategy

  Background

  The brand pursued growth by encouraging operators of existing hotels to change brands rather than relying mainly on new construction.

  Action taken

  DoubleTree offered a route for operators to join the Hilton system through reflagging and targeted property improvements.

  Aftermath

  The strategy contributed to rapid growth in properties and rooms and produced a geographically and architecturally diverse portfolio.

  Source

• 1999

  Acquisition by HiltonM&A

  Background

  Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Promus Hotel Corporation.

  Action taken

  Doubletree became part of Hilton’s hotel portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The brand gained access to Hilton’s global operating, distribution, and brand infrastructure.

  Source

• 1997

  Merger with Promus Hotel CorporationM&A

  Background

  Doubletree Corporation merged with Promus Hotel Corporation as the hotel industry consolidated.

  Action taken

  Doubletree joined a portfolio that included Red Lion, Hampton Inn, and Embassy Suites.

  Aftermath

  The merger positioned the brand for its subsequent acquisition by Hilton.

  Source

• 1993

  Combination with Guest Quarters HotelsM&A

  Background

  Doubletree Hotels Corporation combined with the Guest Quarters Hotels Partnership of Boston.

  Action taken

  The acquired all-suite hotels were rebranded as Doubletree Guest Suites properties.

  Aftermath

  The transaction expanded the chain’s suite-oriented offering and corporate footprint.

  Source

• Unconfirmed

  DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Airport opens as brand's largest hotel in India[6]DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Airport 开业，成为该品牌在印度最大的酒店meetingstoday.com

  The 304-room DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Airport opened, marking the DoubleTree brand's largest hotel in India. Located 15 minutes from Kempegowda International Airport within Aerospace Park, it is the first hotel to open in the industrial hub.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2020.01.05

  Hotel brands sued over alleged human trafficking at Texas properties[5]DoubleTree by Hilton controversy note: Hotel brands sued over alleged human trafficking at Texas propertiesbisnow.com

  Human trafficking victims filed three federal lawsuits in December against hotel brands linked to Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Choice Hotels, alleging trafficking at Texas hotels and failures to prevent it. The claims are allegations; the article does not report a court determination.

• 2019.10.08

  Reported2019.10.10

  Massey files discrimination lawsuit naming Hilton[4]Guest files lawsuit over removal from DoubleTree hotelfoxbusiness.com

  Jermaine Massey sued the hotel chain for $10 million, claiming he was removed from a Portland DoubleTree while making a phone call; Hilton was named in the lawsuit. The claims are allegations, not a court determination.

• 2019.10.08

  Reported2019.10.10

  Guest files lawsuit over removal from DoubleTree hotel[3]Guest files lawsuit over removal from DoubleTree hotelcolumbian.com

  Jermaine Massey’s lawyers filed a lawsuit against the hotel chain, alleging that Massey, a Black guest staying at a DoubleTree hotel in Oregon, was ousted from the hotel for using his cellphone in the lobby to call his mother.

Read more

1. 1DoubleTreeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2DoubleTree by Hilton official websitehilton.com
3. 3Guest files lawsuit over removal from DoubleTree hotelcolumbian.com
4. 4Guest files lawsuit over removal from DoubleTree hotelfoxbusiness.com
5. 5DoubleTree by Hilton controversy note: Hotel brands sued over alleged human trafficking at Texas propertiesbisnow.com
6. 6DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Airport 开业，成为该品牌在印度最大的酒店meetingstoday.com