Hilton Hotels Corporation
is introducing a new luxury hotel line that will extend the cachet of New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel.Unveiled as “The Waldorf Astoria Collection,” the new, elite brand
designation will build upon the legend that company founder Conrad N. Hilton called
“The Greatest of Them All,” the Waldorf Astoria.  The Waldorf Astoria Collection is
launching with the Waldorf Astoria itself and three world-class luxury resorts that
will be newly managed by Hilton:
.      Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on the island of Maui in Hawaii
.      Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona
.      La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California

All four resplendent hotels will maintain their established, well-known names, while
adding The Waldorf Astoria Collection designation as a mark of their exclusivity. 
Hotels within The WaldorfAstoria Collection will benefit from the support of
award-winning technology programs, the Hilton HHonors guest reward program, the
industry-leading Hilton Reservations Worldwide system, eBusiness programs, worldwide
sales and marketing programs, and operations support.

The Waldorf Astoria hotel is wholly owned by Hilton Hotels Corporation, and the
Grand Wailea, Arizona Biltmore and La Quinta properties are owned by Orlando-based
CNL Hotels & Resorts. 

Hilton Hotels Corporation will acquire the three management contracts from La
Quinta, Calif.-based KSL Resorts, which currently manages the three luxury hotels.

“The Waldorf Astoria Collection will build upon a deeply established and highly
reputable hospitality name - the Waldorf Astoria—that represents one of the
cornerstones of our company’s history,” said Matthew J. Hart, president and chief
operating officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation. 

He added, “We will take this world-renowned
name to new heights as we develop a new line of business that has significant growth
potential and that we anticipate will have enormous appeal to current and
prospective hotel owners and developers worldwide.”

“The extension of the legendary Waldorf Astoria designation to three of our premier
destination resorts is an exciting undertaking that we expect will take these
properties to even higher levels of sophistication,” said Thomas J. Hutchison III,
chief executive officer of CNL Hotels & Resorts.

He added, “We are particularly pleased to
showcase this exclusive world-class designation within our portfolio of distinctive
assets and to further our strong relationship with Hilton.”

Criteria for the exclusive designation of The Waldorf=Astoria Collection will
include architectural significance, unique décor and original artwork, historic or
landmark status and a reputation for product and service excellence.
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