Hilton Garden Inn Hotels Awarded ``Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Price Hotel Chains With Full Food Service'' by J.D. Power and Associates

Business Wire, Sept 4, 2002

Business Editors & Travel Writers

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2002

First Year Recognition Presented to Hilton Garden Inn

Hilton Garden Inn(R) Hotels today announced it has received the honor of "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Price Hotel Chains with Full Food Service" award in the J.D. Power and Associates 2002 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study(SM).

This recognition marks the first year that Hilton Garden Inn has received the accolade in the award's four year history. Hilton Garden Inn has been eligible to qualify for participation in this study since 2001.

According to the study, Hilton Garden Inn received the highest ratings in its segment in the following areas: reservations/check-in, hotel services, food and beverage, accuracy of billing and the speed of check-out.

The 2002 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study is based on nearly 13,000 individual business and leisure hotel guests who stayed at 52 different hotel chains and/or resorts in the United States and Canada between December 2001 and July 2002.

"Each Hilton Garden Inn is a newly constructed, purpose-built hotel designed not only to provide the individual leisure and business traveler with a comfortable and affordable place to stay, but to meet the needs of each community we serve with a perfectly sized, high-quality hotel for their local market," said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president - brand management for Hilton Garden Inn. "We are honored to receive this recognition from J.D. Power and Associates on behalf of our corporation, our hotel developers and owners, the hundreds of team members at our hotels across North America and the thousands of loyal and satisfied customers who have contributed to the success of Hilton Garden Inn since our brand launched just five years ago."

The Hilton Garden Inn brand management team uses a measurement tool called the Balanced Scorecard to measure and track overall performance of each hotel, monitoring guest loyalty based on overall guest satisfaction, intent to return and intent to recommend. In addition, recent research conducted by Hilton Garden Inn shows the brand's "intent to return" ratings from guests are some of the highest in the industry.

According to Kurre, "This success can be attributed to the brand's management team led by Dawn Berry, senior director of brand performance, and Mark Nogal, senior director of marketing, who steadfastly encourage both owners and hotel team members to maintain brand standards and strive for customer loyalty."

The Hilton Garden Inn brand also attests its growth to the successful cross-selling among the Hilton Family of Hotels and Hilton Garden Inn's participation with the Hilton HHonors(R) guest reward program. Hilton HHonors allows its members to Double Dip(R) by simultaneously accumulating both hotel points and airline miles with each qualifying stays, and provides more rewarding choices than ever before with more than 70 major airline, car rental and other travel-related companies.

Hilton Garden Inn Hotels are part of the Hilton Family of Hotels under Hilton Hotels Corporation, which 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, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations Company and Homewood Suites by Hilton.

The following trademarks are owned by Hilton Hospitality, Inc.: Hilton(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Homewood Suites(R) by Hilton. HHonors(R) and Double Dip(R) are trademarks owned by Hilton HHonors Worldwide LLC. Conrad(R) is owned by Conrad Hospitality, LLC.