…
Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) has announced its plan to operate 40 new properties in Turkey, representing 5,500 rooms, by 2014. According to HHC, eleven contracts have already been signed with property partners Amplio, the Kosifler Group and Gocay Tourism, which will double HCC’s Turkish portfolio by 2011. “We are seeing increased demand for quality accommodation throughout the country – not just Istanbul – and are keen to capture a significant part of that,” Patrick Fitzgibbon, Hilton’s senior vice president development, Europe and Africa, said. Amplio will develop six Hilton Garden Inns, and Kosifler four, under Strategic Development Agreements (SDAs) signed last December and June this year respectively. Under these deals, HCC will develop nine more with Amplio and 21 more with Kosifler. Fitzgibbon added: “We have made no secret of our ambitions to expand rapidly in Turkey and have formed strategic alliances with partners such as Amplio and Kosifler to enable us to accelerate our expansion plans.”
The first two “mid-market” hotels will open in Kutahya and Diyarbakir in 2010. Properties in Istanbul, Sanliurfa, Bursa, Manisa, Mardin, Corlu and Corum will follow. Under a different franchise agreement, Gocay Tourism will open the Hilton Dalaman Golf Resort & Spa next year. “Quality hotel supply is still incredibly low and not growing at sufficient levels to meet international and domestic demand,” said Mike Collini, Hilton’s vice president of development for Northern Europe. “We see a very real opportunity for us to introduce our extensive Hilton Family of hotels in Turkey.”
Germany, Russia, the UK, the Iberian Peninsula and Italy have also been singled out by HCC for development. Hilton’s current Turkish portfolio consists of seven Hilton hotels and one Conrad hotel.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
