Hilton Plans 150 Hotels in Caribbean, Latin America

Taking yet another big step toward its goal of increasing its international portfolio by 1,000, Hilton Hotels has revealed that the behemoth Beverly Hills-based hospitality concern will step up its presence in the Caribbean and Latin America. The company will enhance its offerings with the addition of 150 properties over the next five years, thereby multiplying its current group of hotels in the regions by four.In the Caribbean, where there are presently 13 Hilton hotels, the company will debut 17 more lodging facilities carrying flags of the company’s focused-service brands, like Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn. Targeted areas will include Nassau, San Juan and Trinidad. In such areas as Turks & Caicos and the Lesser Antilles, Hilton will establish hospitality destinations with residences under its luxury brands at upscale mixed-use sites.The bulk of the expansion program will take place in Latin America, where Hilton has an aggregate 38 existing hotels. Hilton has joined forces with two developers in Mexico, thereby allowing the company to supplement its existing portfolio with the addition of 60 hotels across the country. Central America will see an additional 23 Hilton hotels, predominately operating under the Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands, and in South America, Hilton options will increase with the opening of 50 hotels, predominantly in Brazil, where the already large economy is on the upswing.All told, the newly announced expansion endeavor will bring the availability of Hilton hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America up to more than 200 properties.Hilton has been extremely busy with its international expansion mission over the last few months. In September, the company swung open the doors of its first Hilton Garden Inn in Perm, Russia and in August, it raised its flagship Hilton flag for the first time in Moscow with the opening of the 273-room Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya. Plans call for the establishment of over 70 hotels in major cities and regional centers across Russia over the next decade. Additionally, June brought news of the company’s non-exclusive strategic development agreement with the Kosifler Group for the creation of 25 new properties totaling 3,500 guestrooms in key markets across Turkey; Hilton has been in Turkey for over a half-century, having made its entrée into the country with Hilton Istanbul.In addition to the aforementioned locales, Hilton has also isolated Germany, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Poland and the U.K. and Ireland as target markets for growth.Established in 1919 with the acquisition of a hotel in Texas, Hilton owns, manages or franchises a group of brands that includes including Hilton, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites by Hilton and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection. The company, which was snapped up by global alternative asset manager The Blackstone Group last year for approximately $26 billion, has a portfolio of over 3,000 hotels encompassing a collective 500,000 guestrooms across 74 countries and territories.