The Rome Cavalieri, First European Property to Join Waldorf=Astoria Collection

Hub for Rome's Society Set

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. October 14, 2008

ROME, Italy, March 26, 2008 - Hilton Hotels Corporation today announced that the Rome Cavalieri Hilton, the preferred hotel for global travellers to the Eternal City and the hub for Rome's society set, will become the first European property to join The Waldorf=Astoria Collection.

The Rome Cavalieri is expected to re-open its doors under The Waldorf=Astoria Collection banner this spring. Throughout the coming 12 months the hotel will add a number of enhancements to its stunning facilities and services, including a third outdoor swimming pool within its extensive grounds, as well as a new state-of-the-art Congress Centre, with its own separate entrance, which will be developed in phases over the course of the year.

The 370 room Rome Cavalieri is situated in a tranquil 15-acre park, with panoramic views over Rome's historic centre. Opened in 1963 and renovated at a cost of $50 million the hotel has become synonymous with hospitality firsts: it has the largest conference facility of any five-star deluxe hotel in Continental Europe with a capacity for 5,500 delegates; it is the only hotel in Italy to boast a Michelin-rated three star restaurant "La Pergola" and it has Rome's most luxurious Spa.

In November 2006, the hotel, already legendary for its vast collection of antique art and period furniture, became home to three of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's most important rococo paintings, the acquisition marked the largest amount ever spent on paintings at auction in Italy.

"For 45 years, the Rome Cavalieri hotel has been an intrinsic part of Rome's social fabric and has astonished world travellers with its gracious hospitality, museum-standard collection of art and its grand hilltop setting offering unrivalled views over the Eternal City. This is a magnificent hotel and a pivotal addition to The Waldorf=Astoria Collection," said Mr. Wolfgang M. Neumann, President for Hilton Hotels Europe.

Welcoming this, the sixth hotel in The Waldorf=Astoria Collection, Ian Carter, President of Global Operations, Hilton Hotels Corporation, said, "Selection for The Waldorf=Astoria Collection is exclusive and only landmark hotels with a reputation for superior service, original architecture or artistic and historical significance receive such designation. Rome Cavalieri meets our parameters and sets a very high reference point for the brand in Europe. The Rome Cavalieri is the perfect first hotel for The Waldorf=Astoria Collection in Europe, and we are excited to welcome it to our growing Collection."

The Waldorf=Astoria Collection currently has four properties in the United States, comprising the inspiration for the brand, the legendary Waldorf=Astoria(R) in New York, Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa in Maui, Hawaii, and La Quinta Resort & Club in Southern California. Only one other property has been designated internationally, the 46-suite Qasr al Sharq or "Palace of the Orient" which opened in Jeddah on June 1, 2006 and joined the collection in December, 2006.

The company is also developing brand new Waldorf=Astoria hotels and residences in key cities around the world including, The Waldorf=Astoria at Bonnet Creek (Orlando) and Dakota Mountain Lodge both due to open in 2009, as well as The Waldorf=Astoria Sarasota and the proposed The Waldorf=Astoria Beverly Hills, which are scheduled to open in 2010.