Hampton Lands in Argentina

By Gail Kalinoski

Eduardo Rodriguez Suarez, Hilton Worldwide

San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina—Hilton Worldwide is expanding its presence in South America with the first Hampton by Hilton hotel in Argentina, picking the international tourist destination of San Carlos de Bariloche as the inaugural site in the country for the global mid-priced brand.

Free Way Group signed a franchise agreement with Hilton Worldwide to build Hampton by Hilton Bariloche, a 105-room, five-story hotel due to open in Q2 2018. The project is part of Free Way Group’s own expansion plan. This marks the 50-year-old tourism company’s first hotel development. It currently owns travel agencies and operates tours.

The hotel will be located in a new mixed-use development with retail, parking and a plaza that will be donated to the city. It will have a fitness center, meeting space and Perfect Mix lobby. Amenities include free WiFi, a complimentary hot breakfast, 24-hour snack area and bar.

“Hilton Worldwide continues to experience a rapid growth both domestically and internationally, and we’re excited to introduce the Hampton by Hilton brand in Argentina,” Eduardo Rodriguez Suarez, managing director of development, Brazil and the Southern Cone Region, Hilton Worldwide, said in a prepared statement. “The province of Rio Negro is a key hub for Argentinean tourism, making it an ideal market for Hampton by Hilton’s first property in the country. The city of Bariloche, in particular, is among the most important destinations in the country, receiving more than 700,000 local and international tourists each year, according to the National Institute of Statistics.”

Bariloche is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and the new hotel will be centrally located so guests can enjoy skiing in the Andes as well as visiting the rugged plains of the Patagonia Steppe and the Nahuel Huapi Lake. Many of the rooms will have lake views and the hotel will be located five minutes from the Centro Civico.

Hampton by Hilton is rapidly expanding in Latin America this year with new properties in Bucaramanga and Medellin, Colombia. It is also breaking ground on a hotel in Antogasta, Chile. While the Bariloche hotel will be the first Hampton by Hilton hotel in Argentina, it is not the first Hilton Worldwide property in the country. The company also operates Hilton Garden Inn Tucuman, Hilton Buenos Aires and Anselmo Buenos Aires, Curio Collection by Hilton, and it is building two more–The Hilton Garden Inn Neuquen, which is scheduled to open in Q2 2018, and the Hilton Pilar, set for a fourth-quarter 2017 launch.

Hilton Worldwide has been busy this month opening international properties. Last week, it announced it was expanding its 74-property portfolio in Turkey with two DoubleTree by Hilton hotels in Elazig and Izmir, and a Hampton by Hilton in Bolu.

The hospitality giant also added a new brand this year, introducing Tru by Hilton in January to appeal to millennial travelers. Construction began on the first hotel in McDonough, Ga., in March.