Hilton Hotels Corporation Honors Top Developers at Focused-Service Brand Conference.

Business/Travel Editors

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 2002

Hilton Hotels Corporation announced its top developers during its Focused-Service Brand Conference for Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R) and Homewood Suites(R) by Hilton held in New Orleans, January 21-23, 2002. The conference of owners, operators and Hilton's corporate team members represented the first joint meeting of the focused-service brands since the Hilton Hotels Corporation and Promus merger in 2000.

Each brand recognized a Developer of the Year for the developer who had the greatest number of project approvals or who developed one or more unique hotels that helped enhance the brands' image in 2001. Together, the brands also recognized a multi-brand developer with a Developer of the Year award who made significant contributions to the Hilton Family of Hotels with the most number of project approvals in 2001. To be considered, all hotels in the candidates' Hilton-family portfolio had to be high-quality and in good status, and could represent a combination of new projects, renovations and conversions.

The recipients of the Developer of the Year award were:

    --  Multi-Brand Award Winner       Dora Brothers Hospitality Corp.

    --  Hampton Inn                    HRC Properties
                                       Good Hospitality Services, Inc.

    --  Hilton Garden Inn              Gateway Hotel Group

    --  Homewood Suites by Hilton      Winston Hotels

"We are delighted to bestow the Multi-Brand Developer of the Year award on the Dora Brothers Hospitality Corporation as a way of expressing our appreciation for their commitment to our Hilton Family of Hotels," said Bill Fortier, senior vice president -- franchise development. "Additionally, each of our three focused-service brands is thrilled to recognize their respective Developer of the Year as a way to express appreciation for the franchisees' brand loyalty and overall commitment to excellence, from the design stage to post-opening."

Multi-Brand Developer of the Year

Dora Brothers Hospitality Corporation, represented by Bob and Tim Dora, executed a franchise license agreement with the franchise subsidiaries of Hilton Hotels Corporation during 2001 for the 110-room Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis/Carmel in Indiana. They also opened in 2001 the Hampton Inn Shelbyville in Indiana. In addition, another project approved for design is the 80-room Hampton Inn McHenry in Illinois. Originally from a lodging family that has operated out of the Indianapolis area for decades, the Dora brothers own and operate more than 10 hotels in Indiana.

Hampton

For the second year in a row, Hampton presented an award for Developer of the Year, recognizing two of its most outstanding developers: HRC Properties, Inc. and Good Hospitality Services.

HRC Properties, Inc., which has six hotels open in Indiana, received Developer of the Year from Hampton for their outstanding work in the development of the newest Hampton Inn & Suites prototype containing new "studio suites." This new prototype which they first opened in May of 2001 in Valparaiso, Ind. has been a tremendous success story for the brand and was Hampton's 100th Hampton Inn & Suites to open. The company recently opened another Hampton Inn & Suites in Petosky, Mich., on Jan. 18, 2002.

The Hampton Developer of the Year award also was presented to Good Hospitality Services of Indiana, which manages many of HRC's properties and was instrumental in the development of the new Hampton Inn & Suites hotel in Valparaiso.

Hilton Garden Inn

Hilton Garden Inn bestowed its Developer of the Year award to Gateway Hotel Group, which traditionally seeks strong development opportunities in markets with upside and formidable barriers to entry. Comprised of Solomon Tsai and his family and partners, Gateway opened the Hilton Garden Inn San Mateo, in California, in April 1999. The hotel is one of the top-performing properties in the Hilton Garden Inn brand. The developer also is building the 151-room Hilton Garden Inn Fairfield, scheduled to open in fall 2002, and is pursuing several other projects within the Hilton Family of Hotels in various locations.

Homewood Suites by Hilton

Homewood Suites by Hilton also presented its second Developer of the Year Award, to Winston Hotels, Inc. A Homewood franchisee since 1994, Winston operates six high-quality Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels, with one property under development in Princeton, N.J. Winston was selected for its continued commitment and development of the brand, its quality of projects and its contributions to the Franchise Advisory Council process. Jim Rosenburg, president, Winston Hotels, serves on the Homewood Suites by Hilton Franchisee Advisory Council.

Conference Backgrounder 

Themed "I've Got the Power," the conference offered opportunities for participants to learn, network and build relationships through general sessions, brand-specific meetings, workshops and award presentations. Participants also had the chance to attend a Supplier Expo with key vendors and an Idea Fair facilitating brainstorming sessions on topics ranging from negotiating to sales.

Company Backgrounder

Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,000 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), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Harrison Conference Centers(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Company(R), Homewood Suites(R) by Hilton, and Conrad(TM).