Hilton Worldwide Opens Five Hotels and Signs Four More in the First Four Months of the Year

DUBAI, UAE - May 01, 2011 - Hilton Worldwide is delivering on its expansion plans in the Middle East and Africa with five openings, spread across the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Indian Ocean and South Africa, since the start of 2011. At the same time, the company has also signed four new properties in the MEA across four of its brands - the Hilton Sharjah, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, Hilton Garden Inn Doha Al Sadd and DoubleTree by Hilton, Dubai Al Barsha.

"We've hit the ground running in 2011 and we're experiencing a fantastic rate of growth," said Rudi Jagersbacher, area president, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide. "We have opened five hotels so far this year and are signing new hotels at a pace of one a month.  We are bringing new brands to new countries and we are cementing Hilton Worldwide's position as the preeminent hospitality company in the Middle East with a strong presence across UAE, Egypt and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a development pipeline that spans five of our brands."

In the first four months of this year, Hilton Worldwide has opened the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa, DoubleTree by Hilton Aqaba, DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, Hilton Cape Town City Centre and Hilton Zamalek Residence Cairo.  Three of these five hotels were conversion properties.

Following its debut in Jordan with the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton Aqaba, Hilton Worldwide will also be entering Namibia, Qatar and Equatorial Guinea for the first time in 2011, with the Hilton Windhoek, Hilton Doha and Hilton Malabo respectively. This year will also see the opening of the Hilton Sharjah, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Beach Residence and Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE and Hilton Marsa Alam Resort in Egypt. In total, Hilton Worldwide expects to have opened 10 hotels across the Middle East and Africa in 2011.

These openings and signings mark a number of milestones across the Middle East and Africa:

  • DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah opened to become the 10th Hilton Worldwide hotel in the UAE  

  • Hilton Worldwide marked its debut in Jordan with the launch of the DoubleTree by Hilton Aqaba

  • The DoubleTree by Hilton Aqaba and DoubleTree by Hilton Ras Al Khaimah were the first hotels to open under the DoubleTree brand in the Middle East

  • The opening of the Hilton Cape Town in South Africa was the company's first property in the city

  • Hilton Worldwide marked its entry into a fifth emirate of the UAE with the signing of  259-room Hilton Sharjah

  • The signing of the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah marks the luxury brand's entry into UAE and will become the second Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts property in the Middle East

  • A new development office was opened in Cape Town, South Africa, to boost the company's focus on opportunities in the continent, while the Middle East development team based in Dubai expands to a five-strong team

Ian Carter, president of global operations and development, said, "Across the Middle East and Africa we're seeing a new and improved pace of hotel openings and signings and we will grow our presence in the area by nearly 80 percent over the coming three to four years*. This sort of growth is a testament to the strong relationships we have built with hotel owners and our ability to deliver the operating performance they expect."

Hilton Worldwide currently operates 49 hotels and one Convention Centre in the Middle East & Africa, with 15,000 rooms and over 17,000 Team Members across 15 countries.  The company's 50th hotel in the region, the Hilton Windhoek in Namibia, will open at the end of May. There are an additional 30 properties in the development pipeline across Middle East and Africa, amounting to 10,000 new rooms due to open in the next four years.

*Based on the number of hotels operating and in the development pipeline at the end of 2010

-Ends- 

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 92 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,700 hotels and 610,000 rooms in 82 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. 

Hilton Worldwide currently operates 49 hotels and one convention centre in the Middle East & Africa, totalling to more than 15,000 rooms across 15 countries. There are 17 hotels in Egypt, one hotel and one convention centre in Jordan, ten hotels in the UAE, six in Saudi Arabia and one each in Oman and Kuwait, plus another 13 hotels in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Hilton Worldwide has a signed development pipeline of an additional 30 properties across Middle East & Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Namibia, Nigeria and Cape Verde.

For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com and www.hiltondevelopment.com

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

UAE                 - 8000 20000 11             Qatar               - 800 20 222
KSA                 - 800 82000 10               Egypt               - 19009
Bahrain            - 8000 4058                   Jordan              - 00202 25805927
Kuwait             - 222 56 200                  Lebanon            - 00202 25805928
Oman              - 800 78 788                  Syria                - 00202 25805926

© Press Release 2011