SINGAPORE, June 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Hilton International (HI) has signed two new management contracts for Beijing, including the first Conrad hotel in China and the first Scandic by Hilton outside Europe. Together with the existing Hilton Beijing, the three hotels will make Hilton history by offering for the first time, a complete lineup of HI brands in a single city.
Said Koos Klein, President of Hilton Middle East & Asia Pacific, "With the signing of these two new contracts, Beijing becomes the first city in the world to support three Hilton International brands including the luxury-tier Conrad, the upscale Hilton and the mid-market Scandic by Hilton.
Both hotels are part of mixed-use sites and are located in two separate but equally prominent inner-city precincts. Developed by the China Overseas Real Estate Development Corporation, they are scheduled to open in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Conrad Beijing
The Conrad Beijing will comprise 200 hotel guest rooms and 100 serviced apartments and will feature a variety of restaurants and extensive meetings facilities including an auditorium and a ballroom with a capacity for more than 500 people, as well as a full facility spa and health club. It will appeal to premium travelers seeking luxury, recognition and first class service.
The Conrad will be located on Chang An Avenue, between the Second Ring Road and the Third Ring Road in the Chaoyang District, where the Friendship Store will be turned into a 200,000m2 mixed-use development. The hotel will take up approximately a quarter of the development and the rest will be made up of grade A offices and a large multi storey retail space. Chang An Avenue is the centre of China's political, economic and cultural activities and is known as the "First Street of China."
Scandic by Hilton
Scandic by Hilton Beijing will feature 400-guest rooms and 100-serviced apartments. Public facilities include two restaurants, a lounge, a number of meeting rooms, a ballroom, and a health club and swimming pool.
Like Conrad Beijing, this hotel will also form part of a 200,000 m2 mixed- use development site, which includes retail, office space and underground parking. It is located in the southwest quarter of the city on Guanganmenwai Street between the West Second Ring Road and the West Third Ring Road and is less than 10 minutes drive from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
Scandic by Hilton is the leading hotel chain in Northern Europe with 135 properties and 23,500 rooms covering ten countries. The concept is based on easy and accessible travel for business and leisure with an emphasis on relaxed 'Nordic common sense'. According to Koos Klein, "It offers travellers a contemporary hotel space from a trustworthy brand at a value-for-money proposition."
In other expansion news in China, Hilton International will open its first Hilton Worldwide Resort in the People's Republic on Hainan Island this December. The 500-room Hilton Sanya Resort & Spa is located on prime beachfront land in Yalong Bay and is home to a full spa facility. Meanwhile, the 30-storey, 410-room Hilton Xiamen is scheduled to open early 2007.
Notes to Editor
Hilton International (HI), an operating division of the UK based Hilton Group plc, owns the rights to the Hilton brand name throughout the world, with the exception of the USA, where the Hilton brand is owned and managed by Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC). Hilton International operates 403 hotels, with 261 branded Hilton and 135 under the mid-market Scandic brand. Under a joint venture agreement, Hilton International and the North American based Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) share responsibility for the Conrad brand, which includes 18 hotels in 12 countries. A global marketing alliance between Hilton International and Hilton Hotels Corporation extends the number of hotels operated by both companies worldwide to over 2,700 -- over 500 of which are branded Hilton. Hilton International employs over 71,000 staff in 80 countries.
Conrad Hotels
With 18 award-winning luxury hotels strategically located in capital cities and exotic resorts in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Middle East/Africa, Conrad offers value to both business and leisure travelers by establishing and maintaining the highest levels of service delivery with the renowned "Conrad Service Culture." The hotels provide fine accommodation, excellent restaurants, fully equipped health clubs and sophisticated meetings facilities. Another five Conrad development projects are planned in the US, Thailand, Japan and the UAE (Dubai) for future openings between 2005 and 2007. All Conrad guests benefit from the Hilton worldwide reservation system and its acclaimed guest loyalty program, Hilton HHonors(R). For information on Conrad Hotels and bookings, please visit www.ConradHotels.com .
Owning Company
China Overseas Real Estate Development Corporation (CORED) is a subsidiary of China Real Estate Development Group Corporation (CRED). CRED was founded by China's National Government in 1982. With investment in more than 200 cities in China, and more than 340 affiliated enterprises throughout Asia, CRED has become the largest real estate group in China. Annually, the group constructs approximately 80,000 housing units.
For further information on any of Hilton brands, please visit http://www.hiltongroup.com/ or http://www.conradhotels.com/ or http://www.scandic-hotels.com/ .
High resolution Hilton images are available for the media to download free of charge on http://www.vismedia-online.com/ .
Press Office: Shelley Winkel Director of PR & Communications Tel: +65-6833-9762 Email: shelley.winkel@hilton.com Gunnar Brandberg Vice President Business Development MEAP Tel: +65-6833-9780 Email: gunnar.brandberg@hilton.com
Web Sites: http://www.scandic-hotels.com
http://www.conradhotels.com
http://www.hiltongroup.com
http://www.vismedia-online.com
Source: Hilton International
CONTACT: Shelley Winkel, Director of PR & Communications of Hilton Int'l,
+65-6833-9762, or shelley.winkel@hilton.com