Hilton, in growth spurt, expands global hotel footprint

The Hilton McLean shows off Hilton's new lobby concept.

By Mark Chesnut

Hilton is in growth mode. And that means new hotel options for travelers around the world, with new properties debuting in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States.

Among the latest openings are the Hilton Bodrum Resort & Spa in Turkey, the Hilton Windhoek Hotel in Namibia and the HiltonQueenstown Hotel in New Zealand. Also new is the Hilton New York Fashion District, which opened in February as Hilton’s fifth New York City hotel, as a rebranding of the former Fashion 26 hotel.

Still to open before the end of the year are the Hilton Marsa Alam, in Egypt, the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, in the United Kingdom, and the Hilton Bogota, in Colombia.

In addition, Hilton Hotels and Resorts has introduced a new lobby design concept, with elements including more accessible technology and contemporary food and beverage options. The Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, in McLean, Virginia, is one of the first hotels to feature the new look, with a Technology Lounge equipped with Mac and PC workstations and a new restaurant, Härth, that serves cuisine made in a wood-burning stove.

In addition to Hilton Hotels and Resorts, the parent company, Hilton Worldwide, is also growing the other brands in its portfolio, which includes Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Waldorf Astoria. The newest brand on the scene is Home2 Suites by Hilton, an extended-stay chain that debuted this year in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, with more locations scheduled toopen in the coming months.

Overall, Hilton Worlwide has more than 15,000 new hotel rooms planned for more than 90 properties in Europe, as well as more than 10 hotels under development in Central and South America, more than 70 properties slated to open in China, six new hotels in Saudi Arabia and 12 openings scheduled in Turkey, which will double its presence in that country this year.

Related resources

• Bangkok hotels
• Boston hotels
• New York hotels
• Toronto hotels

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on business and leisure travel to Latin America.

Tagged: Europe, Hotels