Hilton Family of Hotels Outperforms Competitors by Receiving Two Highest Awards Rankings in J.D. Power and Associates Study

Business Wire, July 27, 2004

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Hilton Garden Inn(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R) Receive Highest Rankings in Respective Segments

The Hilton Family of Hotels has received two highest-ranking awards in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM), outperforming all other hospitality companies in two segments, as follows:

--Hilton Garden Inn(R) has achieved "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among the Mid-Scale Full Service Hotel Chains" segment, and

--Homewood Suites by Hilton(R) has tied for the "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Extended-Stay Hotel Chains" segment.

In addition, Embassy Suites Hotels earned second place in the Upscale Hotel Chains category, and Hampton tied for third place in the Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Limited Food Service category.

"Being the only hotel company to receive two highest-ranking J.D. Power and Associates awards and rank highly in two additional segments is a true testament to our brands' commitment to providing extraordinary customer service," said Tom Keltner, president -- brand performance and franchise development group, Hilton Hotels Corporation. "We applaud the team members throughout our hotels representing the top-performing brands who have contributed wholeheartedly to the Hilton Family Hotels achieving this recognition."

Hilton Garden Inn Receives "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Full Service Hotel Chains"

Hilton Garden Inn, the mid-priced brand of more than 200 hotels featuring guestrooms that offer complimentary high speed Internet access and secure PrinterOn remote printing to the hotel's 24-hour business center, has received the "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-Scale Full Service Hotel Chains" award in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Domestic Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM). This accolade marks the third consecutive year that Hilton Garden Inn has received the award, outranking other mid-price, full-service brands included in the study. According to the study, Hilton Garden Inn received high scores in the following areas: guest room, hotel services, hotel facilities, and food and beverage.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Ties for "Highest Guest Satisfaction Among Extended Stay Hotel Chains"

Homewood Suites by Hilton(R), the national brand of more than 130 all-suite residential-style hotels, has tied for "Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Extended Stay Hotel Chains" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM). This marks the fourth year that J.D. Power and Associates has recognized extended-stay hotels as a market segment in its annual study. This year marks the third time Homewood Suites by Hilton has been awarded the honor, underscoring the brand's unwavering focus on top quality and guest satisfaction that has translated into broad customer appeal and recognition. According to the study, Homewood Suites by Hilton scores high in the check-in/check-out, guest room, food and beverage, and hotel facilities.

Embassy Suites Hotels Ranks Second Among "Upscale Hotel Chains"

Embassy Suites Hotels(R), the nation's leading all-suite upscale brand of more than 170 hotels, has earned the second highest spot in the "Upscale Hotel Chains" segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM).

Hampton Ties for Third Among "Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Limited Food Service"

Hampton Inn(R)/Hampton Inn & Suites(R), the national brands of more than 1,200 mid-priced hotels, have tied for third place within the "Mid-Scale Hotel Chains with Limited Food Service" segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM). This placement demonstrates the success of the brands' current revitalization program affecting every hotel in its system -- the largest brand transformation of product improvement and service in the history of the hospitality industry.

"Combined with the popular Hilton HHonors(R) guest reward program, cross-selling among the Hilton Family of Hotels, guest recognition technology and reputation for excellent guest service, the value proposition that our brands offer dramatically increases guest satisfaction and loyalty," according to Keltner. "As a result, our award-recognized brands command significant RevPAR premiums over their respective competitive sets, reflecting their inherent strength. Additionally, the Hilton Family continues to lead development pace within the industry as hotel investors gravitate to our high-performing brands."

About the J.D. Power and Associates Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study

The 2004 North America Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM) is based on responses from 29,424 guests who stayed in a hotel between December 2003 and June 2004.

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.