Tiny Cisco, Texas, might seem an inauspicious place to launch a hotel empire, but it worked for Conrad Hilton. Hilton bought his first hotel there, midway between Fort Worth and Abilene, in 1919 and in less than 25 years had Hilton hotels from coast to coast. Building on a tradition of innovation (Hilton hotels were the first to introduce air-conditioning, in-room TVs, and airport locations, among other things), Hilton Hotel now boasts more than 540 hotels, resorts, and residences in more than 70 countries around the world.