Camino Real Hotels Will Join the Hilton Family of Brands as Hilton Hotels Corporation Signs Affiliate Agreement With Hoteles Camino Real
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. and MEXICO CITY, Jan. 17 / Hilton Hotels Corporation
Effective April 1, 2001, Camino Real hotels will become active participants in the award-winning Hilton HHonors® guest reward program, and receive sales and reservations support from Hilton Sales Worldwide and Hilton Reservations Worldwide offices around the globe.
With the signing of this agreement, the Hilton family of brands features the largest collection of four- and five-star hotels in Mexico, and the second largest major hotel chain presence in that country overall. In total, Hilton will be represented in Mexico with 21 hotels and 5,190 rooms. The Camino Real portfolio, widely recognized as Mexico's finest hotels, earned "Gran Turismo" status from the Mexican Tourism Ministry, which is similar to a "five star" rating in the U.S.
The hotels that will affiliate with the Hilton brand include city center hotels; resort destinations; metropolitan locations and a set of distinctive historical hotels. These hotels include:
- Camino Real Acapulco - 157 rooms
- Camino Real Cancun - 381 rooms
- Camino Real Cuernavaca - 163 rooms
- Camino Real Guadalajara - 205 rooms
- Camino Real El Paso (Texas, USA) - 359 rooms
- Camino Real Huatulco - 120 rooms
- Camino Real Mexico City - 709 rooms
- Camino Real Oaxaca - 91 rooms
- Camino Real Puebla - 83 rooms
- Camino Real Puerto Vallarta - 83 rooms
- Camino Real Saltillo - 140 rooms
- Camino Real Tijuana - 250 rooms
- Camino Real Tuxtla Gutierrez - 210 rooms
- Camino Real Villahermosa - 197 rooms
HOCASA plans to spend in excess of US$40 million over the next 26 months on the entire Camino Real hotel portfolio to meet Hilton brand standards prior to re-branding. Camino Real's flagship property in Mexico City completed its first phase of renovation, which included the main lobby, front desk, lobby bar, 160 guestrooms, the addition of a new Spanish-themed restaurant and its 12,800 sq. ft. ballroom.
With new owners, Camino Real closed 2000 with an impressive collection of awards from the trade and consumer travel industry. Two of its properties have been named to Conde Nast Traveler Magazine's Gold List. The Gold List named Camino Real Cancun and Camino Real Puerto Vallarta as two of the best places in the world to stay. Travel & Leisure Magazine's annual "World Best" issue (September 2000) named Camino Real Puerto Vallarta among the top 25 destinations for Mexico, Central and South America. In recognition of their superior customer service, Camino Real properties in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Zaashila, Huatulco were given a Golden Apple award by Apple Vacations. Each Camino Real property scored "excellent" on more than 90 percent of the surveys filled out by vacationers.
"Domestic and international travelers alike are comforted by brands with which they are familiar, knowing that they can expect a certain level of quality and service. Camino Real is truly the most prestigious hotel brand in all of Mexico, and uniting with Hilton – one of the world's most prestigious hotel companies – will only raise the level of excellence that our hotels can provide to the thousands of guests that visit our hotels each year," said Juan Manuel Perez Gomez, CEO of Camino Real. "Outstanding worldwide customer recognition and trust in the Hilton family of brands, affiliation with the acclaimed Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, along with our exciting systemwide renovation plans will ultimately lead our properties to quickly outperform their competitive set throughout Mexico and will give us increased presence in the U.S. market."
Hilton Hotels Corporation continues to pursue development and conversion opportunities that will create one of the most geographically diverse hotel systems throughout Mexico. The Hilton family of brands currently has nine four- and five-star Mexican properties with 1,788 guestrooms operating in Cancun, Chihuahua City, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey (4). Other Hilton properties currently under development in Mexico include locations in Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Mexico City/Santa Fe, Nuevo Laredo and Puerto Vallarta.
"We believe that this strong, new business relationship with Hoteles Camino Real, one of the largest domestic hotel companies in Mexico, will be mutually beneficial for Hilton Hotels Corporation, the Mexican economy and the traveling public," said Tom Keltner, president – brand performance & development of Hilton Hotels Corporation. "With greater national distribution, Hilton will be able to provide more choices to customers and attract more in-country business and leisure travelers. Secondly, the recognition of the Hilton flag, along with the support of our team members at Hilton Sales Worldwide and Hilton Reservations Worldwide offices and more than 10 million loyal Hilton HHonors members, will undoubtedly draw a larger international base that is confident in our family of brands. And a strong, stable, globally recognized set of brands attracts a greater cross-section of visitors."
Grupo Empresarial Angeles, the parent company of Hoteles Camino real, is a 100 percent Mexican-owned company with extensive holdings in Mexico including 11 of the nation's finest hospitals, the Hermanos Vazquez furniture chain and the 56-outlet Coffee Stations. GEA, through an association with Group Aeroportauario del Pacifico, also owns and operates 12 airports.
Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises approximately 1,900 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Harrison Conference Centers®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations Company®, Homewood Suites® by Hilton, and Red Lion Hotels & Inns®.
Jeanne Datz Rice
Hilton Hotels Corporation Communications
+1 310 205-4545
Hilton
