Hilton and Hampton by Hilton properties are expected to open in Bursa, Turkey, in 2011. Hilton Hotels Corporation has entered into a Franchise License Agreement with Durmazlar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. to open two new Hilton Family properties in Bursa, in the northwest of Turkey. The 170-room Hilton Bursa Convention Centre & Spa and 106-room Hampton by Hilton Bursa will be located next to each other and will represent the first dual-branded development in the country by HHC, as well as the Turkish debut of the company’s value-conscious Hampton by Hilton brand. It will also see the hotelier operating a choice of four different hotel brands in Turkey, reflecting Hilton's commitment to growing its presence in key strategic markets.

“It is clear that there continues to be significant potential to develop the hotel sector across Turkey and fulfill demand for quality accommodation in key Turkish cities and regional locations,” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president of development, Europe & Africa, Hilton Hotels Corporation. “This agreement will enable us to continue to accelerate our expansion plans through the introduction of our extensive Hilton Family of Hotels.”
Scheduled to debut in the second quarter of 2011, the new hotels will build the Hilton presence in Bursa to three Hilton Family properties and some 430 rooms. Last year, the company announced plans to introduce a new Hilton Garden Inn property in 2010, under a separate non-exclusive Strategic Development Agreement with a leading Turkish property partner. This hotel will be located close to the Demirtas Organized Industrial Area to the northeast of the city.

As Turkey’s fourth-largest city, Bursa boasts a population of over 2 million people and is an important center of trade and industry. The newly built Hilton and Hampton by Hilton properties will be located close to the main highway connecting Bursa and Istanbul, and just a few kilometers from the city center. Close by is a key business and manufacturing area, as well as a large shopping mall. The city is just a 40-minute drive from the slopes of Mount Uludag Ski Resort, Turkey’s main winter sports destination. The company has earmarked Turkey, along with Germany, Russia, the U.K., the Iberian Peninsula and Italy -- as a key market for extensive development and growth through the introduction of the Hilton Family of Hotels.

The country currently ranks as Hilton’s most successful international development market and now boasts the largest pipeline of any global hotel group. Under separate non-exclusive Strategic Development Agreements (SDAs) with two leading Turkish property partners, Hilton Family is expected to introduce 40 properties (comprising 5,500 rooms) over the next five years. The company is also set to debut its first resort property in the country, when it opens Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa this summer.

Hilton has a long and established history in Turkey, opening its first hotel, Hilton Istanbul, in 1955. The company currently operates eight properties -- seven Hilton hotels and one Conrad hotel -- in six locations (Adana, Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Kayseri and Mersin). In December 2007, Hilton Hotels Corporation signed an SDA with Amplio to develop up to 15 hotels, and has signed management contracts for six Hilton Garden Inn properties so far. In addition to this, under a second SDA announced in June last year, Hilton Hotels Corporation expects to develop 25 new properties with the Kosifler Group, and has already signed deals for a further four Hilton Garden Inn hotels. For more information, visit www.hilton.com.