Opened in 1975, the 598-room Hilton Sydney is the brand’s oldest standing hotel in Australia, which has recently completed a $40 million renovation that has taken in the lobby, lobby lounge, executive lounge and guest hallways, as well as the addition of 12 new guest rooms.

On Wednesday, 21 May, 2025, the hotel hosted its birthday celebration with a cocktail party featuring several hundred guests plus Hilton executives, including Leonard Gooz, global brand leader, Hilton Hotels & Resorts; Vincent Ong, VP for brand management, APAC; Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific; and Paul Hutton, Area VP and head of Australasia.

As part of the night, Hilton celebrated key moments in its 50-year journey, including introducing international hospitality standards to the Australian market in the 1970s; becoming a cultural hub in the 1980s with live cabaret shows and high-profile entertainment; and expanding across Australia with the launch of brands such as DoubleTree by Hilton, Curio Collection, Tapestry Collection and Hilton Garden Inn.

The company says Australia remains central to its regional growth strategy, with plans to expand into new locations across Asia Pacific and continued investment in its Australian portfolio.

Hilton currently has 47 hotels in operation across Australasia, with 12 projects in the pipeline under planning or construction.

Upcoming openings include Waldorf Astoria Sydney, DoubleTree by Hilton Auckland, Hilton Garden Inn Suva, Hilton Garden Inn Brisbane and Hilton Garden Inn Sydney Kingswood.

Pictured at top: (From left) Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton; Sandra Sully, news presenter, Network Ten; Katrina Jones, senior vice president, communications, APAC and EMEA, Hilton; Paul Hutton, area vice president and head of Australasia, Hilton; Leonard Gooz, global brand leader, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.