Hilton Garden Inn Springs into National Garden Month and Plants Seeds for School Gardens Across the Country with the National Gardening Association.

Business Editors

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2004

Hilton Garden Inn(R) hotels are planting the seeds of knowledge with school children across North America this April in support of National Garden Month, a program of the National Gardening Association (NGA). Participating hotels will work with schools in their local communities showing them how education can be a growing experience.

As the official hospitality sponsor of the NGA and National Garden Month, Hilton Garden Inn continues its relationship with the NGA for a third year.

National Garden Month kicked off last week in Washington D.C. The event commemorated the many benefits of gardening, including its positive effects on people and communities while encouraging environmental responsibility.

With more than 190+ hotel locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Hilton Garden Inn community outreach program teaches children about the many facets of gardening and its importance to our global environment.

The Hilton Garden Inn "Grow A School Garden" project uses a hands-on approach for students to grow their garden. The project tool kit features a thorough curriculum that assists educators and hotel team members in helping students create and maintain a successful garden learning experience, indoors and out -- giving students the opportunity to take ownership and pride in an educational project that grows right along with their learning.

"Each of our Hilton Garden Inn hotels want to be an active member in their respective communities," said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president - brand management, Hilton Garden Inn. "Our 'Grow A School Garden' community outreach project offers an excellent way to teach children about the importance of gardening and its positive effects while encouraging teamwork and incorporating school subjects, like science, math and social studies, in a fun and growing way."

The National Gardening Association developed the garden education packages specifically for the Hilton Garden Inn program, with all of the tools necessary for hotel team members and the participating schools to grow an indoor or outdoor garden. Each participating Hilton Garden Inn location will donate this package to their local school, provide personal teamwork and dedication, and grow this special relationship of a school garden together with students.

The indoor education package allows students and teachers to raise vegetables, flowers and herbs right in the classroom with a space-saving indoor light garden and windowsill herb kit. The outdoor education package features tools specially designed for kids, and books describing how to cultivate a garden, make compost and include habitat elements in a garden, such as food plants for birds and homemade birdfeeders.

"Growing a school garden will teach this generation about the importance of the environment in which they live in, as they create a beautiful setting," said Valerie Kelsey, president, National Gardening Association. "The garden will generate pride among the students and provide a wholesome activity that makes valuable connections between major education disciplines, as well as spark inquiry and enhance problem-solving skills. We are truly appreciative of Hilton Garden Inn and their dedication to such a worthwhile program."

With more than 100+ hotel locations participating in the program to date, Hilton Garden Inn hotels and local schools are planting gardens, in spite of weather challenges, from Bridgewater, New Jersey to Jacksonville, Florida, and from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Carlsbad Beach, California. In some communities, gardens are blooming at Boys & Girls Clubs, early education centers, senior centers, city community gardens and in Hilton Garden Inn hotel locations.

The National Gardening Association, based in South Burlington, Vermont, is a non-profit organization committed to supporting hands-on education in the garden. For more than 30 years, NGA has promoted the advance of multi-disciplinary learning and scientific literacy and created partnerships that restore and enhance communities. NGA publishes in-depth gardening information, offers grants and award programs, and conducts research on gardening trends. Visit www.garden.org to learn more about the NGA. To find "101 Ways to Celebrate National Garden Month," visit www.nationalgardenmonth.org.

Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning mid-priced brand offering complimentary high speed Internet access in all hotel guestrooms and secure guest remote printing to the hotel's 24-hour business center. Hilton Garden Inn is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises approximately 2,100 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Company(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R).

For more information on this community outreach campaign or to find out more about Hilton Garden Inn or to make reservations, please visit our Web site at www.hiltongardeninn.com or call 1-877-STAY-HGI in the U.S. and Canada.