In the 1950s and 1960s, Hilton expanded his business worldwide. He created the first international hotel chain. Hilton eventually owned 188 hotels in thirty-eight cities in the United States. His hotels included the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D. C., the Palmer House in Chicago, the Plaza Hotel and Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, and fifty-four hotels outside the United States. He later bought the Carte Blanche Credit Company, part of the American Crystal Sugar Company, and other businesses.