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Hampton on target for openings record

Hampton has announced that it is on pace to open a
record 140 plus hotels in 2007, surpassing its previous record of 127
openings, set in 1998.“We recently opened our 1,400th hotel and 140,000th room and expect to go
well past our 1,500th hotel before the year?s end, which translates to an
average rate of nearly three hotel openings per week,” said Phil Cordell,
senior vice-president, Hampton Brand Management.  “Developer interest
remains high in the focused-service segment, and Hampton is a leading
choice for developers in North America.  The brand continues to target
urban markets and western U.S., Canadian and Latin American destinations,
where we currently have more room for growth.”

“Since the successful merger between Hilton Hotels Corp. and Hilton
International, we also have experienced increased interest in international
development,” added Cordell.  “We plan to open our 20th hotel in Canada
later this year and make a substantial push into overseas markets in the
upcoming future.” 

Cordell noted that in addition to increased developer interest, the brand
has been receiving high marks from guests, too.  Since the completion of
Phase II of its ‘Make It Hampton’ program which introduced the brand?s
latest bedding product ‘Cloud Nine. The Hampton Bed Experience’,
satisfaction scores have increased by a whopping 8 percent. 

Development interest in the Hampton Inn & Suites product has been
particularly strong, with this product expected to account for nearly 60
percent of new Hampton hotel openings in 2007.      The mixture of room types
and amenities allows developers a wide range of room pricing options,
making it a very attractive alternative.
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