Hilton Hotels Corporation earmarks GCC as one of its top ten global development markets

HHC was the fastest growing international hotel company in 2007, with over 32,000 rooms opened.

This milestone underscores the company's stated goal in 2007 to add 1,000 hotels to its international portfolio in ten years.

Currently the company boasts the industry's largest global development pipeline for any U.S-based hotel company, and the strongest in the company's history - HHC has more than 900 hotels and 120,000 rooms in its development pipeline globally, a 16% increase on the previous year.

Ahead of the 2008 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference and Arabian Travel Market where Hilton is both speaking and participating, Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Hotels, Middle East & Africa commented, "The G.C.C presents significant growth opportunities for the Hilton Family of Brands. We currently have an opening pipeline of 16 Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Hilton brand hotels in Middle East & Africa, with the goal of signing an additional 20 management agreements and doubling our portfolio by 2012".

In addition to the key cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, development in locations such as Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Bahrain is a focus of HHC's development strategy.

HHC announced the signing of two management agreements in Africa recently, marking the company's entry into Ghana and Cape Verde, an archipelago of ten islands in the Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Africa.

The 186-room Hilton Accra Airport City and the 268-room Hilton Cape Verde are expected to open in 2010.

These developments are testament of HHC's ambition to have a Hilton Family hotel in every African capital city.

The next few years will see the Middle East's leading hotel brand (ref. BDRC 2007 survey), Hilton, focus on bringing consumer choice to the industry forefront through the rollout of select Hilton Family of Brands.

Ivor McBurney, Vice President, Hilton Hotels, Development, Middle East said,

"In addition to our core product offering of Hilton brand properties, our immediate expansion plans will drive the presence of our luxury brands, The Waldorf=Astoria Collection and Conrad. We are also identifying opportunities for Doubletree by Hilton, an upscale full service product and Hilton Garden Inn, a midmarket brand - all affordable accommodation, while simultaneously carrying the quality assurance associated with the Hilton name".

"Our belief is that consumers should be able to choose between a multitude of brands, each offering a different product for a different market segment. Consumer choice is key to future growth," continued McBurney.

HHC plans to launch each brand with a customised development and marketing strategy to ensure relevance in each market in terms of positioning, facilities and services.

Contemporary luxury will be championed in the gateway cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with the Conrad Abu Dhabi and Dubai expected to open in 2010, each with 500 rooms.

Plans for the Doubletree by Hilton brand entail single hotel projects, while the Hilton Garden Inn brand will be launched as multiple property relationships modeled on similar projects in India, China, Russia and the United Kingdom.

2008 openings for Hilton include the spectacular Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa which opens in the winter.

The 235-room resort set in 'the world's greatest open-air museum', Luxor, will feature the city's first world-class spa.

In the U.A.E, HHC's first residential offering in Dubai, the 44-storey Hilton Jumeirah Beach Residence with 371 rooms and apartments, is set for a November 2008 opening.

Meanwhile, with Qatar representing the second highest GDP growth after China, HHC will mark its entry into the country, with the 324-room Hilton Doha scheduled to open in January 2009.