Hilton Garden Inn continues expansion and signs agreement to open first hotel in Perm, Russia

Hilton Garden Inn, part of the Hilton Family of Hotels, has announced that it has signed its first hotel agreement to launch the brand in the Russian city of Perm. Through a franchise agreement with Hotels of Ural Ltd, the award-winning mid-priced brand has entered into an agreement which will involve the conversion of the existing Plaza Olympia hotel to the new Hilton Garden Inn Perm which is scheduled to open in late 2008.

“Bringing the Hilton Garden Inn brand to Russia is very exciting because it shows that hotel guests are looking for a new kind of lodging option whether travelling for business or leisure,” said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president – brand management, Hilton Garden Inn. “We look forward to introducing our Hilton Garden Inn core brand attributes like the Garden Sleep System bed, Herman Miller Mirra chair and complimentary Wi-Fi in guestrooms and public space. In addition, the hotel will feature a full service restaurant and 24-hour Pavilion Pantry—both offering a variety of food and beverage offerings.”

Over the next ten years, Hilton anticipates it will open more than 70 Hilton Family Hotels in Russia, not only focusing on Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also actively looking at opportunities in key regional cities.

Welcoming the announcement, Wolfgang M. Neumann, President of Hilton Hotels - Europe, said: “Russia is one of our key strategic development markets and there exists a huge potential for hotel growth in key cities across the country. In Perm there are no internationally branded hotels and just 600 available rooms, so it is clear to us that that quality accommodation is in short supply. We believe that the ever-popular Hilton Garden Inn brand is the perfect fit to meet demand in this market.”

This latest announcement also reflects the expansion of the innovative Hilton Garden Inn brand across Europe, with plans to open new European properties including three locations in Italy, in Bari, Matera and Lecce; Rzeszow, Poland and Frankfurt, Germany in the next 24 months.

Located in the Ural region, more than 621 miles (1,000 km) from the Russian capital, Perm has a population of over one million people and is considered to be an important industrial center. The 104-room Hilton Garden Inn Perm will be centrally situated just a short drive from the airport and city center. In addition, the hotel also will offer leisure and business travelers a bar and restaurant as well as 2,690 square feet (250 square meters) of conference and meeting facilities, business center and complimentary parking.

Separate from this agreement, the first Hilton hotel in Russia will be the 275-room Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya, which is scheduled to open early next year. Hilton has recently announced plans to develop approximately 50 new hotels encompassing selected brands within the Hilton Family of Hotels in Russia, as part of two multi-unit deals expected to be signed this year. The company has also recently revealed it expects to open a new hotel in neighbouring Baku in 2010.

About Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, mid-priced hotel brand that continually strives to ensure today’s busy travelers have everything they need to be most productive on the road — from complimentary wired and Wi-Fi Internet access in all guestrooms and remote printing to the hotel’s complimentary 24-hour business center to one of the most comfortable beds with the Garden Sleep System. So whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the amenities and services for travelers to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while on the road.

Hilton Garden Inn represents one of the cornerstones of the Hilton growth strategy. The Hilton Garden Inn brand is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation; the leading global hospitality company.

Hilton Garden Inn PR contact:
Agnes Sibal
Brand Communications
Hilton Hotels Corporation World Headquarters
9336 Civic Center Drive
Beverly Hills
CA 90210
USA
(310) 205-4545

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