Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power four years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country:
Aug. 15: The Taliban march into Kabul, returning to power after two decades as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.
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FILE - Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE - Girls walk upstairs as they enter a school before class in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - A U.S. soldier holds a sign indicating a gate is closed as hundreds of people gather some holding documents, near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon, File)
FILE - Smoke rises after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel in the city of Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Sidiqullah Khan, File)
FILE - Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)
Aug. 26: Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabul’s airport.
March 23: On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.
May 7: The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house.
Nov. 10: A nationwide ban on women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didn’t cover themselves properly.
Nov. 20: The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.
Dec. 8: The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators, the first public execution since the takeover.
Dec. 21: The Taliban bar female students from attending university.
Dec. 24: The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups.
July 4: The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs.
Sept. 13: The Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing.
Oct. 4: Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including millions of Afghans.
Oct. 7: A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.
Jan. 4: The Taliban arrest women in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab,” the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power.
May 17: Shooters open fire in Bamiyan, killing six people, including three Spanish vacationers. It’s a blow to the Taliban’s plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack.
June 4: The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official facing a U.S. bounty over his involvement in deadly assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban.
July 30: The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government.
Aug. 13: The Taliban celebrate the third anniversary of their return to power at a former U.S. air base that was once the center of Washington’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks.
Aug. 21: The UAE accepts the credentials of the Taliban’s ambassador to the Gulf Arab state.
Aug. 22: Authorities ban women’s voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue.
Sept. 13: IS militants kill 14 people in a Shiite-majority area of central Afghanistan, gunning them down as they returned from visiting shrines in Iraq.
Sept. 16: The Taliban suspend polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, one of two countries in which the spread of the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease has never been stopped.
Oct. 15: Taliban run-media stop showing images of living beings in some Afghan provinces to comply with morality laws. That same month, the southern province of Helmand bans all media from showing images of living beings.
Nov. 10: The Taliban confirm they will attend a U.N. climate conference. The head of the country’s national environment agency says Afghanistan needs international support to deal with extreme weather.
Dec. 4: There is widespread condemnation after reports that the Taliban’s leader has ordered private and public institutions to suspend medical courses for women.
Dec. 11: A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital kills the refugee minister. The funeral for Khalil Haqqani, the paternal uncle of acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, is held the following day.
Dec. 24: Airstrikes by Pakistan target suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan. Afghan officials say the airstrikes killed 46 people, mostly women and children.
Jan. 22: A prisoner swap with the U.S. frees two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Taliban free more Americans months later.
Jan. 24: The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor requests arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials for the repression of women.
Feb. 24: The Taliban confirm the arrest of two elderly British nationals, Peter and Barbie Reynolds.
March 5: A suspect in the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport appears in a U.S. court following his capture in Pakistan.
March 23: The U.S. lifts bounties on three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister.
June 5: U.S. President Donald Trump bans entry for citizens from 12 countries, including Afghanistan.
July 4: Russia becomes the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government.
FILE - Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE - Girls walk upstairs as they enter a school before class in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - A U.S. soldier holds a sign indicating a gate is closed as hundreds of people gather some holding documents, near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon, File)
FILE - Smoke rises after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel in the city of Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Sidiqullah Khan, File)
FILE - Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)
MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced Apartment Collection by Hilton, a new lodging category within Hilton's growing collection brand portfolio – offering unique, spacious furnished apartments with the trusted hospitality and reliability guests expect from Hilton. Apartment Collection by Hilton will be available for booking through Hilton channels in the first half of 2026, with initial properties in the U.S. launched in partnership with Placemakr—a leading apartment hospitality brand and operator specializing in flexible, short-term and extended-stay accommodations in urban and suburban markets, with nearly a decade of experience integrating innovative hospitality solutions and trusted service.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260115804669/en/
The launch of Apartment Collection by Hilton allows the company to build on its existing global inventory of approximately 10,000 apartment-style units, adding as many as 3,000 new units through its partnership with Placemakr. Hilton expects to significantly grow its apartment-style inventory over the next few years through this new partnership and through additional franchise agreements with new owners in the multi-family segment.
Designed to provide flexibility for guests to stay their way, Apartment Collection by Hilton offers studio to four-bedroom furnished apartments for a variety of stay occasions — from a family getaway or friends’ reunion to an extended work trip where business travelers need comfort and consistency. Featuring chef-ready kitchens, spacious separate living areas, and on-site laundry, each distinct property is located in the heart of sought-after destinations – offering guests easy access to both must-go-to destinations and unique, under-the-radar gems. Each stay delivers an elevated experience that captures the local character of its surroundings, with the convenience and smart amenities of apartment-style living. Guests will be thoughtfully hosted, with dedicated team members available on-site 24/7 to provide support and ensure guests feel cared for.
To bring this vision to life, Hilton is launching this brand in partnership with Placemakr—a leading brand and management company in the furnished and unfurnished apartment sectors. Placemakr’s proven operational model brings deep multi-family expertise to launch Hilton’s growth in this expanding segment. Placemakr has leveraged organic growth and asset-light management agreements with its business model and is centered on partnering with multi-family building owners to convert either an entire building or a subset of units in an apartment building into furnished short-term rentals. Through the partnership with Placemakr, as well as with relationships with multi-family owners, Hilton expects to see strong growth for the brand, given the popularity of the apartment-style hospitality market.
“Apartment Collection by Hilton represents the next chapter in Hilton’s growth story and the ways we are evolving to meet growing guest demand for this dynamic segment of hospitality,” said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. “With this new brand, we are continuing to pioneer the future of the hospitality industry, giving guests even more ways to choose Hilton for every stay, backed by our service and reliability.”
Powered by Hilton’s trusted brand standards, Apartment Collection by Hilton will maintain consistent quality across every property, with every stay integrated into Hilton’s booking and loyalty systems, ensuring reliability and peace of mind for guests and owners alike. In the first half of 2026, travelers will be able to book stays via Hilton.com at Apartment Collection by Hilton in destinations including New York City, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.
“After an extensive search, Hilton is proud to partner with Placemakr to introduce Hilton’s new lodging category,” said Chris Silcock, president, global brands and commercial services, Hilton. “We’ve long seen the opportunity to deliver hospitality-driven apartment stays, offering spacious accommodations, thoughtful amenities, and authentic connections to local neighborhoods, and Placemakr shares that vision. For nearly a decade, they’ve demonstrated a strong commitment to guests through high product standards and exceptional service.”
Each Apartment Collection by Hilton property will be thoughtfully designed to support guests’ routines and provide flexible spaces for real life. Guests will also enjoy access to fitness centers and select properties may also feature rooftop pools and terraces, communal gathering and workspaces, and on-site dining and retail.
“Placemakr is proud to bring our deep expertise in the furnished apartment space to this innovative new brand with Hilton,” said Bao Vuong, co-founder and president, Placemakr. “We’re thrilled for Hilton guests and Hilton Honors members to experience what we’ve built over the past decade. We’ve pioneered the furnished apartments asset class property by property, stay by stay, and to continue that work alongside the world’s most valuable hotel brand is so exciting.”
“We’re also excited for what this means for our real estate partners,” added Jason Fudin, co-founder and CEO, Placemakr. “Hilton’s industry-leading commercial engine and scale will help create even more value for our partners while accelerating our mission to maximize the value of real estate through flexibility. This marks a new chapter in flexible real estate, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
Apartment Collection by Hilton will participate in Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest loyalty program with more than 235 million members for Hilton’s portfolio of world-class brands. Members will be able to book, earn and redeem Hilton Honors Points for stays through Hilton’s direct channels and have access to instant benefits, including exclusive member discounts and free standard Wi-Fi.
PJT Partners and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC were the strategic financial advisors on this partnership for Hilton and Placemakr, respectively.
For more information, visit Stories From Hilton.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 26 world-class brands comprising 9,000 properties and over 1.3 million rooms, in 141 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 235 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook,X, LinkedIn,Instagram and YouTube.
About Placemakr
Placemakr is a hospitality brand and management company focused on the furnished apartment space. The company transforms multifamily properties into a unique blend of apartment living and hospitality and has been the pioneer of the flexible living asset class. Placemakr's innovative tech-enabled platform provides an unmatched experience for its guests and residents, combining the advantages of apartment living with the services and reliability of a hotel, all within a single building. Placemakr's thoughtfully curated spaces in carefully selected neighborhoods offer guests and residents the flexibility to stay for a night, a year, or any duration in between.
Hilton Introduces Apartment Collection by Hilton: Furnished Apartment Accommodations, Hosted by Hilton
