Hilton has entered into a management agreement with Amplio Gayrimenkul Yatirim ve Gelistirme Anonim Sirketi (Amplio) to open its first Hilton Garden Inn location in Diyarbakir, Turkey, which is scheduled to open in December 2009. This agreement forms part of a non exclusive Strategic Development Alliance between Hilton and Amplio which is set to introduce approximately 15 Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn hotels, all of which Hilton expects to manage.

“We have identified Turkey as a key development market where we believe there exists significant growth opportunities for the hotel sector across the country for our Family of Hotels,” commented Wolfgang M. Neumann, President of Hilton Hotels -Europe. “With eight hotels in Turkey already - seven Hilton hotels and one Conrad Hotel - the introduction of the Hilton Garden Inn brand will be the perfect fit to fulfill demand for quality mid-market accommodation in this sector.”

According to Adrian Kurre, senior vice president -brand management for Hilton Garden Inn, “We look forward to launching the Hilton Garden Inn brand in Turkey and introducing our key brand attributes like the Garden Sleep System bed, Herman Miller Mirra chair and complimentary Wi-Fi in guestrooms and public space to both business and leisure travelers looking for a new kind of lodging option.”

This announcement also reflects the Hilton Garden Inn brand’s fast moving expansion across Europe, with plans to open new European hotel properties including three locations in Italy, in Bari, Matera and Lecce; Rzeszow, Poland; Frankfurt, Germany and Perm, Russia in the next 24 months.

Located in the south east of the country, the city of Diyarbakir has a population of more than one and a half a million people and is one of the main industrial centers of the region. Just a short drive from both the city center and the airport, the new 150-room Hilton Garden Inn Diyarbakir will be centrally situated near a large shopping mall and residential complex.

The founding shareholders and board members of Amplio, Mr. E.W.Graebner and Mr. Alaeddin Babaoglu added: “Today is a historic day for us as we cement our recent alliance with Hilton and move towards the introduction of our first joint venture.”
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