Hilton Hotels Corporation, one of the world’s best-known hotel chains, has signed an agreement with WorldRes to connect its central reservation system to the WorldRes online distribution network. Together the two companies are developing a seamless link between the new HILSTAR® reservation system and WorldRes.
This connection will enable Hilton Hotels Corporation’s more than 270 properties worldwide to take confirmed online bookings from WorldRes’ growing proprietary network of distribution partners, including major web portals, travel sites, destination sites and call centers, and other web-based points of sale. HILSTAR was developed by REZsolutions and features XML interface technology. The connection to WorldRes will allow Hilton to automatically update content, availability and pricing in real time on a constant basis.

“As hotel companies move onto new modern reservation platforms like HILSTAR, it becomes increasingly easy for them to connect to new distribution systems like WorldRes without going through intermediaries,” said Domenic Rinaldi, Vice President of Operations at WorldRes. “We are automating all facets of our communication with Hilton Hotels Corporation, including updating of availability, rates and descriptive information.”

U.S. Hilton hotels and Conrad International Hotels abroad will join the more than 9,000 properties already enjoying the marketing and e-commerce benefits of the WorldRes network of Web distribution partners. These partners include broad travel portals, such as Yahoo!®, Lycos® and AOL®, as well as tourism authorities, convention and visitor bureaus, and activity-based sites.

“The WorldRes network, with its broad variety of web site and call center partners, is a terrific fit with our Internet strategy, and will allow us to reach untapped sources of reservation revenue,” said Bruce Rosenberg, vice president of distribution for Hilton Hotels Corporation. “Using this exciting new XML interface technology it will be simple to tie our CRS directly into WorldRes, and we are anticipating an exceptional opportunity to expand our Web reach among consumers. WorldRes’ reservation volume is already significant, and is growing more than 500% annually, so this was an easy decision.”

About WorldRes, Inc.
WorldRes, Inc. (http://www.worldres.com) operates the online distribution network that connects hotels to a broad range of Web-based partners, including portals, travel and destination Web sites, convention and visitor bureaus, tourism authorities, online city guides, call centers and travel agents. For hotels, WorldRes offers an efficient, low-cost means for marketing and selling accommodations online. For distribution partners, WorldRes provides detailed information, booking capability and transaction revenue for a wide range of properties, from bed and breakfasts and independent hotels to resorts and hotel chains. WorldRes was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California. WorldRes Europe is based in central London. WorldRes’ more than 80 employees possess an extensive knowledge of hotel marketing, systems and operations as well as Internet-based transaction technology.

About HILSTAR®
HILSTAR is Hilton’s new central reservations system that feeds real-time information directly into HRW (Hilton Reservations Worldwide), industry global distribution systems (GDS), individual Hilton hotels and www.hilton.com. In addition, the new system will facilitate global sales and marketing initiatives for Hilton’s worldwide network of hotels in more than 50 countries. HILSTAR also uses an XML interface technology protocol to make connecting with third-party reservations systems cost effective. REZsolutions, Inc., developed and operates the system for Hilton Reservations Worldwide. HILSTAR was developed and funded jointly by Hilton Hotels Corporation and Hilton International via their strategic alliance.

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