BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. and MEXICO CITY, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE: HLT), one of the world's leading lodging hospitality companies, and Hoteles Camino Real, S.A. de C.V. (HOCASA), Mexico's preeminent and most respected hotel chain, today signed an agreement to affiliate 14 Camino Real hotels and resorts in Mexico and Texas with the Hilton(R) family of brands.
Effective April 1, 2001, Camino Real hotels will become active
participants in the award-winning Hilton HHonors(R) guest reward program, and
receive sales and reservations support from Hilton Sales Worldwide and Hilton
Reservations Worldwide offices around the globe.
With the signing of this agreement, the Hilton family of brands features
the largest collection of four- and five-star hotels in Mexico, and the second
largest major hotel chain presence in that country overall. In total, Hilton
will be represented in Mexico with 21 hotels and 5,190 rooms. The Camino Real
portfolio, widely recognized as Mexico's finest hotels, earned Gran Turismo
status from the Mexican Tourism Ministry, which is similar to a five star
rating in the U.S.
The hotels that will affiliate with the Hilton brand include city center
hotels; resort destinations; metropolitan locations and a set of distinctive
historical hotels. These hotels include:
-- Camino Real Acapulco - 157 rooms
-- Camino Real Cancun - 381 rooms
-- Camino Real Cuernavaca - 163 rooms
-- Camino Real Guadalajara - 205 rooms
-- Camino Real El Paso (Texas, USA) - 359 rooms
-- Camino Real Huatulco - 120 rooms
-- Camino Real Mexico City - 709 rooms
-- Camino Real Oaxaca - 91 rooms
-- Camino Real Puebla - 83 rooms
-- Camino Real Puerto Vallarta - 83 rooms
-- Camino Real Saltillo - 140 rooms
-- Camino Real Tijuana - 250 rooms
-- Camino Real Tuxtla Gutierrez - 210 rooms
-- Camino Real Villahermosa - 197 rooms
HOCASA plans to spend in excess of US$40 million over the next 26 months
on the entire Camino Real hotel portfolio to meet Hilton brand standards prior
to re-branding. Camino Real's flagship property in Mexico City completed its
first phase of renovation, which included the main lobby, front desk, lobby
bar, 160 guestrooms, the addition of a new Spanish-themed restaurant and its
12,800 sq. ft. ballroom.
With new owners, Camino Real closed 2000 with an impressive collection of
awards from the trade and consumer travel industry. Two of its properties
have been named to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine's Gold List. The Gold List
named Camino Real Cancun and Camino Real Puerto Vallarta as two of the best
places in the world to stay. Travel & Leisure Magazine's annual World Best
issue (September 2000) named Camino Real Puerto Vallarta among the top 25
destinations for Mexico, Central and South America. In recognition of their
superior customer service, Camino Real properties in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta
and Zaashila, Huatulco were given a Golden Apple award by Apple Vacations.
Each Camino Real property scored excellent on more than 90 percent of the
surveys filled out by vacationers.
Domestic and international travelers alike are comforted by brands with
which they are familiar, knowing that they can expect a certain level of
quality and service. Camino Real is truly the most prestigious hotel brand in
all of Mexico, and uniting with Hilton -- one of the world's most prestigious
hotel companies -- will only raise the level of excellence that our hotels can
provide to the thousands of guests that visit our hotels each year, said Juan
Manuel Perez Gomez, CEO of Camino Real. Outstanding worldwide customer
recognition and trust in the Hilton family of brands, affiliation with the
acclaimed Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, along with our exciting
systemwide renovation plans will ultimately lead our properties to quickly
outperform their competitive set throughout Mexico and will give us increased
presence in the U.S. market.
Hilton Hotels Corporation continues to pursue development and conversion
opportunities that will create one of the most geographically diverse hotel
systems throughout Mexico. The Hilton family of brands currently has nine
four- and five-star Mexican properties with 1,788 guestrooms operating in
Cancun, Chihuahua City, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey
(4). Other Hilton properties currently under development in Mexico include
locations in Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Mexico City/Santa Fe, Nuevo Laredo and
Puerto Vallarta.
We believe that this strong, new business relationship with Hoteles
Camino Real, one of the largest domestic hotel companies in Mexico, will be
mutually beneficial for Hilton Hotels Corporation, the Mexican economy and the
traveling public, said Tom Keltner, president -- brand performance &
development of Hilton Hotels Corporation. With greater national
distribution, Hilton will be able to provide more choices to customers and
attract more in-country business and leisure travelers. Secondly, the
recognition of the Hilton flag, along with the support of our team members at
Hilton Sales Worldwide and Hilton Reservations Worldwide offices and more than
10 million loyal Hilton HHonors members, will undoubtedly draw a larger
international base that is confident in our family of brands. And a strong,
stable, globally recognized set of brands attracts a greater cross-section of
visitors.
Grupo Empresarial Angeles, the parent company of Hoteles Camino real, is a
100 percent Mexican-owned company with extensive holdings in Mexico including
11 of the nation's finest hospitals, the Hermanos Vazquez furniture chain and
the 56-outlet Coffee Stations. GEA, through an association with Group
Aeroportauario del Pacifico, also owns and operates 12 airports.
Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent
hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises
approximately 1,900 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), Harrison Conference
Centers(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Company(R), Homewood
Suites(R) by Hilton, and Red Lion Hotels & Inns(R).
SOURCE Hilton Hotels Corporation
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