Dubai, UAE 28 January 2009: Set on the banks of one of the most breathtaking waterways in the world, in a town rich with ancient antiquities, Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa has recently reopened following a 30 month and US$45 million dollar master makeover.

Located within minutes of the Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, the 236-room Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa has been entirely transformed to emerge as a dazzling new retreat that echoes the majesty of thousands of years old treasures around it.

Country Manager, Operations, Hilton Hotels Egypt, Mahmoud Mokhtar said: With "With almost one-third of the world's archaeological treasures, Luxor has always been a draw card for the privileged traveller as an incomparable destination seeped in ancient history, and now it has an incomparable resort, grand in 21st century design, to match."

The guiding design principle of the new Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa is the River Nile, where five of the seven dining options and half of the guest rooms have been oriented to reveal spectacular vistas over 170 metres of prime river frontage.

At river level is Olives, an all day dining serving a variety of dishes. Rosetta, the main dining venue featuring rich russet pillars towering around diners. A casual-yet-chic shisha caf is Diwan breathtakingly suspended over the east bank of the river, offers plush Arabian-style seating served with Egyptian tea, Turkish coffee and traditional shisha water pipes filled with fruit-flavoured tobaccos, in addition to Silk Road serving Asian cuisine.

The focal point of the entire resort is the infinity edge swimming pool. Seemingly built into the lip of the Nile and framed by the mountain ranges on the west bank, the pool has the capacity to hoodwink guests into believing they are floating in the legendary Nile waters. A similar sense of tranquility is possible from the submerged pool lounges and a sunken pool bar.

If Luxor is meant to nourish the mind, then the resort's Nayara Spa is set to delight the body and the soul. Loosely translated as "Shining from Within, Inner Beauty, Wisdom", Nayara Spa is the first international-standard spa in the ancient town.

Serene interiors with Arabian-style fretwork, Nile-side treatment pavilions and a diverse menu of therapies inspired by ancient recipes and western techniques have created a shrine to sensory indulgence. Serene interiors with Arabian-style fretwork, Nile-side treatment pavilions and a diverse menu of therapies inspired by ancient recipes and western techniques have created a shrine to sensory indulgence. For the dedicated spa devotee, five spa suites are also available offering a whole new kingdom of delight.

Guest rooms and suites reflect the same contemporary approach and alternate pure, clean lines and furnishings rich in wood with hints of Egyptian culture such as the traditional bronzed lamps. Most rooms have balconies, many offering postcard perfect views of the river beyond.

Osman Khairat, General Manager, Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa said: This unique resort will reinforce the Hilton philosophy that travel should be relaxing, pampering and invigorating.

Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa is 650 miles and short flight south from Cairo, and 15 minutes drive from Luxor International Airport. Downtown Luxor, the Luxor Museum and Temple of Karnak are all located within a five minute drive from the hotel. Traditional felucca sailing and sunset dining can be arranged directly from the hotel's private jetty.

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Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,200 hotels and 545,000 rooms in more than 77 countries and territories including 135,000 team members worldwide. 

The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection.

The company currently operates 41 hotels in the Middle East & Africa 16 hotels in Egypt, nine hotels in the UAE, five in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another nine hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton Hotels has a signed development pipeline of an additional 17 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cape Verde. Furthermore, the company has announced a strategic development agreement to develop 13 Hilton Garden Inn properties (2,500 rooms) across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hiltons philosophy that, It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.  The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company:  be hospitable. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

For more information about our company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com, and to learn more about our be hospitable philosophy, please visit www.behospitable.com

The Hilton Reservations and Customer Care telephone numbers in the Middle East are as follows:

UAE                 - 8000 20000 11                         Qatar                - 800 97103
KSA                 - 800 82000 10                           Egypt                - 19009
Bahrain            - 8000 4058                               Jordan               - 00 202 5805927
Kuwait             - 222 56 200                              Lebanon             - 00 202 5805928
Oman              - 800 788788                             Syria                 - 00 202 5805926

For further information please contact:
Keren Gatty Saunt
dpr
Tel: 00971 3233668
Email: keren@d-pr.ae

Press Release 2009