Shadowing Practice: 15 Things You Didn't Know About HILTON - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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15 Things You Didn't Know About Hilton Hotel Welcome to Alux.com,
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15 Things You Didn't Know About Hilton Hotel Welcome to Alux.com,
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the place where future billionaires come to get inspired.
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If you're not subscribed yet, you're missing out.
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Hello Aluxers, welcome back.
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Have you ever had the desire to arrive in a foreign country,
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flag down a cab, and say,
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take me to the Hilton?
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Those words have epitomized Hilton Hotels for decades.
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Founder Conrad Hilton was born in San Antonio, New Mexico in 1887.
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Connie, as he was called,
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loved dancing and business and took both very seriously.
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His father Gus was a Norwegian immigrant who started trading beaver pelts and deer hide,
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which led him to opening a general store.
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His mom Mary was a devout Catholic.
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In his early 20s, the family were struggling financially,
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so Connie decided to convert some of their rooms in their home into accommodations,
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and so the seed for hotels was planted.
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Come travel with us Aluxers and we'll help you decide which Hilton hotel you should book for your next getaway.
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What he did have was an innovative mindset,
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optimism, impeccable timing, and a good eye for detail.
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He tried a few things in his youth,
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including running a general store,
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a bit of politics where he was elected as a Republican to New Mexico State Legislature,
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and even managed a musical group that his violinist sister was a part of.
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He eventually decided to study banking once he realized there was money to be made.
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In September 1913, he opened the New Mexico State Bank of San Antonio.
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The shareholders voted to employ someone with banking experience as the president,
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and Hilton ended up as a cashier without payment.
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But that changed when Hilton set off on his horse
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and went door to door to get proxies so he could gain control and become vice president of the bank he started.
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When World War II began,
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he sold the bank for a tidy sum and was enlisted in the Expeditionary Force and served two years as second lieutenant.
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On his return home, he decided to venture out of New Mexico and buy a bank in Texas,
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knowing a lot of oil activity was taking place there.
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He had an agreement to purchase a bank for $75,000 and was willing to offer full price.
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When the greedy buyer insisted on $80,000,
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Connie tapped out and tried to get accommodations in the only hotel in Cisco, the Mobley Hotel.
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The owner of the hotel had no room available out of 40 rooms
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and was turning over three lots of people every 24 hours.
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Connie bought it for $40,000 and although it didn't trade as the Hilton Hotel,
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it's considered as the first Hilton of many.
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Number 3.
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It wasn't long before Hilton expanded from one to hundreds.
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He started off with several hotels in Texas and built his own high-rise hotel named the Dallas Hilton.
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When the Great Depression hit,
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he almost lost everything but persevered and managed to keep going.
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He formed Hilton Hotels Corporation in 1946 and then the Hilton International Company two years later.
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Thereafter, he went global, opening the world's first international hotel chain.
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Today, the Hilton portfolio includes over 6,000 properties, including timeshares.
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Currently under the leadership of Christopher J.
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Neseta, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc boasts 971,000 rooms spanning 119 countries and territories.
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Since Hilton Hotels began, they've welcomed over 3 billion guests.
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Depending on your budget, there are many Hilton Hotel options available for you.
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Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the upmarket brand of the hotel group.
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Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts have 30 spots around the world
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and they've been described as inspirational environments and personalized attention that are the source of unforgettable moments.
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Conrad Hotels and Resorts are another luxury brand of the hotel group and there are only 33 of these,
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while Hilton Garden Inns are among the most affordable with over 800 spread out globally.
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Number 5.
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Hilton Hotels had many industry firsts.
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They were the first to develop the idea of franchising hotels.
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They launched the first multi-hotel reservation system,
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were the first coast-to-coast hotel chain in America,
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and claim they introduced the first airport hotel,
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the San Francisco Airport Hilton, in 1959.
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That claim has been disputed by aviation historians,
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who believe the first airport hotel was the Oakland Airport Inn,
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which opened in 1929.
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And Aluxers, if you love airports as much as we do,
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check out our video, The 15 Most Amazing Airports in the World.
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And most of these airports have Hilton Hotels just a stone's throw away,
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offering free shuttle service to and from the airport.
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He bought it in 1949 for $3 million.
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He allegedly kept a photograph of the hotel underneath the glass on his desk,
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with the caption, The greatest of them all written on it.
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The building was sold in 2014 to a Chinese insurance conglomerate for $1.95 billion.
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To date, it's the most expensive hotel ever sold.
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Part of the agreement was that Hilton Worldwide would manage the hotel for 100 years.
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The hotel was desperate for an upgrade,
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and the hotel group agreed it was a financially sound idea to sell as opposed to renovating.
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Number 7.
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Conrad Hilton had a few rules for success.
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He believed we needed to focus on something we're good at,
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that we should be big,
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be honest, live enthusiastically, never let material things possess us,
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never waste time worrying about our problems,
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never look down on people,
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assume responsibility, and above all,
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pray consistently and confidentially as taught to him by his mother from a young age.
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Number 8.
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Fortune named Hilton the best company to work for in the US in 2020.
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And this is actually the second year the company has managed to achieve this,
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and they're the only hotel group in history to ever receive this accolade and two years running is unheard of.
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They have over 430,000 employees and their decision was unanimous.
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Other prestigious awards Hilton has won include the world's most reputable companies for corporate responsibility,
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Fortune's best place to work for women in the US,
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and best workplaces for diversity,
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just to name a few.
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Things were tough during the Great Depression,
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and Hilton had to borrow $500 from a bellboy.
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It was the life savings of Eddie Fowler.
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This incredible gesture did not go unrecognized and he became a high-ranking executive.
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Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc made $9.5 billion in 2019,
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which was up from $8.9 billion they made the previous year.
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They managed to pass their competitor Marriott International in terms of brand value,
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but Marriott's revenue was more than double that of Hilton.
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The average cost of staying a night in a Hilton hotel room is $144.79,
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but there are pricier options available.
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For example, a night at the Waldorf Astoria in the Maldives will cost around $1,800 a person.
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The Hilton family are estimated to be worth around $2.5 billion,
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and at the time of Conrad Hilton's death,
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he was worth $1 billion himself,
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which is the equivalent to $3.52 billion today.
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When Connie passed away, he left the bulk of his fortune to the Hilton Foundation,
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a non-profit corporation that was founded in 1944 with the aim to alleviate human suffering worldwide.
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The current CEO, Christopher Nassetta, is worth $40.2 million.
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He owns 406 units of Hilton Worldwide stock valued at over $2,386,000
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and he earns a little under $20 million a year as CEO and director of Hilton Worldwide.
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It's not often you come across a loyalty program that really is worth your while investing in,
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but the loyalty program for the Hilton is actually worth it.
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As a member, you'll receive discounts at over 5,000 hotels and free Wi-Fi.
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You're invited to exclusive events and you can earn miles by staying at a Hilton hotel.
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There's an online mall called the H Honors Global Shopping Mall,
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which has over 20,000 products you can buy using your points.
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Using an app, you can also check in on your phone,
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choose your room and, yes, even order room service.
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You can also use your points to book accommodations in another Hilton hotel in the next city you find yourself in.
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Let's meet the family!
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The Hilton family tree has some interesting dimensions,
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so we'll start with Conrad Hilton,
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who was born on Christmas Day in 1887.
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He was married three times.
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His first wife was Mary Adelaide Barron,
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and they had three children,
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Conrad Jr., William Barron, and Eric Michael.
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Conrad Jr. was Elizabeth Taylor's first husband,
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but the marriage only lasted eight months.
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He had a problem with drinking, gambling, and abusiveness.
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He allegedly had an affair with his father's second wife, Zsa Zsa Gabor.
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He eventually married Patricia Trish McClintock and had two sons,
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but tragically died at the age of 42 from a heart attack induced by alcohol.
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William Barron married Merrill and Jane Hawley and they had eight children together.
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From those eight children, there's a further 15 grandchildren,
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including Paris and Nikki Hilton and four great-grandchildren.
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Eric Michael married Patricia Shipworth and they had four children.
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Conrad's second wife was Zsa Zsa Gabor and in her autobiography,
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she retells how Conrad changed her name to Georgia because he couldn't pronounce it.
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He limited her spending, made her sleep in a different room and give up her Hungarian roots.
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She claims he sexually assaulted her and she fell pregnant with a daughter named Constance Francesca.
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His third wife was Mary Frances Kelly,
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to whom he was married to until his death in 1979.
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In 2007, The Blackstone Group,
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a world-leading investment and advisory firm,
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bought Hilton Hotels for $26 billion cash.
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It worked out to $47.40 a share,
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which was 40% more than its closing price the day before,
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and they took on $7.5 billion in debt.
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This would be the second-largest transaction the company has ever made.
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Bloomberg labeled it the best-leveraged buyout ever.
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Blackstone employed Christopher Nassetta as the CEO,
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a position he still holds today,
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and they made the company private.
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After six years of being private,
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Hilton was made public once again with an IPO of $20 a share.
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The IPO sold 117.6 million shares,
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raising $2.35 billion, making it the largest ever for a hotel.
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This resulted in the Blackstone Group netting a profit of $8.5 billion.
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Number 14.
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Hilton Hotels claims they'll reduce their environmental footprint.
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By 2030, the Hilton Hotel Group aims to cut in half their environmental footprint and double their social investment.
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The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 61%,
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reduce water consumption by 50%,
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source sustainable foods, eliminate plastic straws,
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and send absolutely no soap to landfills.
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Number 15.
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They are industry leaders in parental leave.
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In September 2019, Hilton Hotels announced the extension of their parental leave.
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They are committed to incorporating an all-inclusive environment for their employees.
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The leave has been extended by two weeks,
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meaning new moms will get 12 weeks maternity leave,
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while fathers and adoptive parents receive four weeks.
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They've also introduced parents concierge benefits to help new parents transition from work to home and vice versa.
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There's also the Parenthood Journey program,
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which provides information for new parents to remain connected and their well-being taken care of.
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Finally, they've teamed up with Milk Stork,
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which allows traveling moms to be able to express milk and ship it home to their babies.
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Well Aluxers, that's a wrap on Hilton Hotels for today,
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but we have a question for you.
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What was your best experience staying at a Hilton Hotel?
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Did you have one?
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Let us know in the comments and of course for sticking with us until the end,
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here's your bonus.
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Conrad Hilton was once on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
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Before the show wrapped up,
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Carson asked Hilton for a message for the American people.
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Hilton's reply?
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Please, he pleaded, put the shower curtain inside the tub.
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Many people believed they were the last words he uttered,
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but instead many would agree it was the soundest advice he had ever dispensed.
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Thank you for spending some time with us, Aluxer!
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Make sure to subscribe so you never miss a video.
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If you want more, we handpicked these videos you might enjoy,
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or head over to alux.com for the best in fine living content on the planet.
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Context & Background
The video titled "15 Things You Didn't Know About Hilton" offers an intriguing glimpse into the life and achievements of Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton Hotels chain. This informative dialogue not only shares fascinating facts about the hotel industry but also reflects on Hilton's remarkable journey, from his humble beginnings to creating an international hotel empire. Learning about such inspiring stories can enhance your English listening skills while providing valuable context for conversations related to travel and hospitality.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
Here are five essential phrases from the transcript that you can incorporate into your daily English communication:
- “Take me to the Hilton.” - A common phrase used when requesting transportation to a hotel, useful when discussing travel plans.
- “He had an innovative mindset.” - Describes someone who thinks creatively, perfect for conversations about business or personal achievements.
- “Almost lost everything but persevered.” - A powerful phrase highlighting resilience, ideal for discussions about overcoming challenges.
- “He managed to keep going.” - A motivating expression that can be applied to various contexts in life.
- “The world’s first international hotel chain.” - Useful for engaging in conversations about global business or travel.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively use the technique of shadow speech for this video, follow these steps to improve your English pronunciation and fluency:
- Watch the Video: Begin by watching the video without pausing, familiarizing yourself with the content and tonal qualities of the speaker.
- Listen Actively: Play the video again, this time focusing on one segment at a time. Pay attention to how the speaker articulates words and phrases, especially the key phrases identified above.
- Pause & Repeat: Use the shadow speak method by pausing the video after each sentence or phrase. Repeat the sentence out loud, mimicking the intonation and rhythm of the speaker.
- Record Yourself: Consider recording your shadowing practice. Listen to your pronunciation and compare it with the original to identify areas for improvement.
- Incorporate into Conversation: Finally, practice using these phrases in your daily conversations. This will not only reinforce what you’ve learned but also help you feel more confident during IELTS speaking practice.
By engaging in these steps, you will be able to enhance your shadow speech and improve your overall English communication skills, making it easier to articulate thoughts about fascinating subjects like the history of Hilton Hotels.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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