Hilton Hotels is developing 10 hotel projects in India, under the full service Hilton brand, business hotel brand, Hilton Garden Inn and long stay brand, Homewood Suites by Hilton. The announcement marks the first stage of development for the Hilton-DLF joint venture company which will culminate in the opening of the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Saket in 2008.

Ian Carter, executive vice president and CEO Hilton International Operations was in Delhi this week and commented, “We are delighted with the substantial progress of our joint venture company with DLF in India. Having identified 20 key sites in India, we are moving quickly toward to realizing our goal of becoming a household name in India in the next 5 years, with the first 10 hotel projects underway. We are very confident in our partnership with DLF”.

Following the acquisition of the hotels business of Hilton International plc by Hilton Hotels Corporation in February 2006, Hilton Hotels is now the largest international hotel chain worldwide, by profit. The Company is exporting successful US-grown Hilton Family of brands hotel products into the international markets, with the goal of offering customers a consistent choice and personalized service across almost all price points in strategic markets.

In line with this strategy, Hilton Hotels Corporation has recently named plans to open 1,000 hotels in the USA in the next 5 years and 1,000 hotels outside North America in the next 10 years. A key area of focus for development is the Indian market, where the Company aims to develop and own 50 to 75 hotels over the next 5 to 7 years thorough its partnership with DLF, India’s largest developer.

The Hilton-DLF joint venture will focus on 3 Hilton Family brands, including the flagship Hilton; business brand; Hilton Garden Inn; and long stay brand Homewood Suites.

Koos Klein, President Hilton Hotels Asia Pacific, said, “With huge growing demand for hotel room supply in India, there is great potential for Hilton to tap this opportunity, particularly now that we have partnered with the country’s largest developer. We are conducting extensive research into what the Indian business traveler wants on the road and these insights will help us customize short and long stay business hotel prototype concepts for the Indian travelers’ needs. We aim to define the business hotel segment in India”.

In addition to Hilton Hotels’ plans to open properties through its joint venture with DLF, the Company will manage 5 new properties scheduled to open in India in the next two years. This will include Shilim Retreat by Hilton, Hilton Bangalore, Hilton Residences Bangalore, Hilton Chennai and Hilton Hyderabad.
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