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Hampton Inn is First Ever Hotel Brand to Receive Prestigious Sustainable Tourism Award Presented by SMITHSONIAN Magazine Travelers Conservation Foundation |
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After five years, hundreds of thousands of dollars and 21 saved landmarks, Hampton(R) Hotels -- due to its Save-A-Landmark(TM) program -- is the first hotel brand ever to be nationally recognized for its preservation efforts by receiving the prestigious SMITHSONIAN Magazine/Travelers Conservation Foundation (TCF) Sustainable Tourism Award in the preservation category. |
Finalists were chosen by a committee based on their commitment and ability to protect and restore cultural treasures with an innovative and effective approach. Other finalists include the Cherokee National Historical Society and the ancient town of Lijiang, China. Winners were determined by international public vote through the award's Web site, with Hampton receiving the most votes worldwide. Hampton will be honored at an awards ceremony during the United States Tour Operators Association Annual Conference to be held in December 2004, in Hollywood, Fla.
From refurbishing the 81-foot tall National Monument to the Forefather's in Plymouth, Mass. to brightening a Route 66 icon -- an 80-foot Blue Whale in Catoosa, Okla., to making adobe mud bricks to save the 16th century "Oldest House" in Santa Fe, N.M., Hampton's Save-A-Landmark program has spent the past five years preserving and promoting historical, fun and cultural landmarks across the U.S. and Canada. During this time, the program has helped 21 landmarks, researched the needs of hundreds more, promoted the importance of landmark sites, facilitated hundreds of volunteer hours, coordinated the contracted labor to repair sites and helped many receive matching grants -- all at a value of more than $1 million dollars. Banding its hotels together in communities across the U.S., Hampton hotel employee volunteers provide the labor to refurbish selected sites, sometimes up to five landmarks per year.
"It's an honor to be recognized among an elite group worldwide that have helped areas sustain and promote cultural heritage," said Phil Cordell, senior vice-president of Hampton brand management. "With 75 percent of our 1,300 properties located near a major highway, the Save-A-Landmark program is a perfect fit for the Hampton brand allowing us to preserve America's roadside landmarks and to show guests our commitment to their travel experience."
As part of the distinction, Hampton will receive a cash prize of $20,000, which it plans to use toward renovating or refurbishing a future landmark project. Hampton will let the public vote on its next landmark refurbishment project via an online poll hosted on hamptonlandmarks.com. The voting will begin late January. Research is still underway as to the exact recipient of the funds, however potential projects range from bridges to broken-down theaters and possible locations span the country. Hampton expects to announce its 2005 landmarks, and the beneficiary of its winning funds, in early 2005.
"After hearing the news that we had won the award, we decided to get the public involved with our preservation efforts and host an online vote to select the landmark that Hampton will refurbish with the award money," said Judy Christa-Cathey, vice-president Hampton brand management. "We are always looking for more nominations of landmarks in need of assistance."
Hampton Hotels encourages Americans to submit details on local treasures in need to its Save-A-Landmark program; submission can be submitted online by clicking the Save-A-Landmark icon at www.hamptonlandmarks.com or by mailing recommendations c/o Save-A-Landmark to 8730 Sunset Blvd, Fifth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
This year Hampton launched a specialized Web site promoting lesser-known "hidden" landmarks to encourage travelers to explore these sites, combining into the site landmarks the Save-A-Landmark program has helped as a way to promote tourism to those areas. Available at www.hamptonlandmarks.com, this online resource offers hundreds of locations and road trip tours for travelers looking for places that harbor some of America's lesser-known icons with their own history, secrets and legends.
About the Sustainable Tourism Awards
Smithsonian Magazine and the Travelers Conservation Foundation (TCF) are uniting to honor members of the travel and tourism industry that are committed to protecting our natural environment and its cultural treasures. The Sustainable Tourism Awards were created to encourage and promote sustainable tourism projects around the world. Nominations must demonstrate excellence in preservation or conservation, a clear connection with tourism, and how this award will help a project advance its goals. An esteemed panel of judges selects three finalists from both the preservation and conservation categories. Each award recipient will receive a cash prize of $20,000 during the USTOA Annual Conference to be held in December 2004, in Florida. Hampton has acknowledged that it will fully place its cash prize to the refurbishment of other roadside landmarks.
About Hampton Hotels
Hampton, which includes Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, is a mid-priced leader in the lodging segment. Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, which develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,200 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Club(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R).
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