Chances are if you have travelled you have seen or maybe even stayed at a Hilton hotel.The Hiltons owned the chain of the hotels which was founded by Conrad Hilton and among the books which document the success of the family is The Hiltons – The True Story of an American Dynasty by J Randy Taraborrelli published by Grand Central Publishing, NY, 2014. The book describes the family from the early days in Texas to one of the better known names in the hotel business. One of the keys in surviving the depression because Mr. Hilton managed to pay enough to keep the creditors away and when the depression ended as occupancy rates rose, the same bankers offered credit to the company and Hilton expanded. Similar to many luxury hotels, to stay at the top of the market, it helped Mr. Hilton enjoyed the parties and galas at the hotels. In every industry, people admire various assets or wished they could own. To a hotelier there are wonderful, large hotels in every city and some were built by people who eventually had to sell. If the company is profitable or has assess to credit, trophy properties can be acquired for less than the cost to build. The owner then has to do a renovation to regain the lustre in the limelight or to be considered as the meeting place in the city.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, similar to Mr. Hilton as he slowly acquired properties to fix them up and gain higher occupancies, the key is slowly acquired. The chain did not start with the best properties, it took time to build and time to acquire. If you have patience investing, while gaining a return (dividend) can be very rewarding. Mr. Hilton’s chain took time, he expanded as opportunities arose and soon the company was the biggest hotel chain in the world as well as a profitable concern.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.