Hilton Tops Europe’s Best Workplaces List While Betting AI Won’t Replace Human Touch
Hotel giant says AI will augment staff as industry faces 43M worker shortfall by 2035
Hilton has claimed the top spot on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe for 2026, displacing logistics giant DHL, as the hotel operator doubles down on a strategy that positions artificial intelligence as a tool to amplify — not supplant — its workforce.
The ranking, compiled with research partner Great Place to Work, is based on anonymous employee surveys and benefits audits. In the U.K., 92% of Hilton staff rated the company a “great place to work,” compared with a 54% average for typical British employers.
The accolade arrives as anxiety over AI-driven job displacement spikes across white-collar sectors. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently warned that up to half of entry-level white-collar roles could be automated within five years, potentially pushing unemployment up 10 to 20%. A King’s College London survey found 69% of U.K. workers fear AI’s economic impact on jobs.
Hilton, which has rolled out AI chatbots for trip planning and automation in back-office functions, argues the technology addresses a different problem: a projected global shortfall of 43 million travel and tourism workers by 2035, according to the World Economic Forum.
“Nothing is a substitute for the human touch,” said Steve Ryan, senior vice president of HR for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “We talk openly about using technology to enable even more focus on the guest experience. Most people in hospitality want to support guests; the more we use technology to help with that, the better.”
That philosophy extends to a benefits overhaul aimed at retention in a tight labor market. Hilton’s “Care Hub,” launched in the U.S. and now live across 17 European and Middle Eastern markets with localized content, offers guidance on elder care, childcare and mental health. Discounted gym memberships and wellbeing apps have been added in 10 new countries over the past year.
An employee exchange program has moved 1,400 staff across properties since 2023 for skills development and cultural immersion. The company’s signature travel discount — heavily reduced rates for employees, friends and family at Hilton hotels worldwide — remains the most popular perk, Ryan said.
Underpinning the culture push is the “Travel with Purpose” volunteering initiative, which logged 1.8 million employee hours in 2025 on projects ranging from river cleanups to youth CV workshops. “People want to feel they’re part of something bigger,” Ryan said. “Our ability to demonstrate that is a real competitive advantage.”
Maintaining that culture across a pipeline of 329 hotels under construction or development is the next test. “When you open a new hotel, you have to build the culture from scratch,” Ryan said. “Culture is the reason so many people stay with us and develop successful careers.”
