Award-Winning Author/Illustrator Todd Parr Creates One-of-a-Kind Book with Pay-It-Forward Message

Business Wire, Nov 14, 2006

Book inspired by Conrad Hilton's Philosophy - aFill the Earth with the Light and Warmth of Hospitality'; Hilton Family pledges to donate more than 10,000 abe hospitable' books to Books for Kids Foundation and Reach Out and Read in Celebration of National Children's Book Week

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Living in a world where common courtesy is a bit less common than it once was, the Hilton Family of Hotels is hoping to inspire young readers to be courteous and thoughtful with its first-ever children's book by acclaimed author/illustrator Todd Parr, called "be hospitable." Launched during National Children's Book Week, the Hilton Family also will make a hospitable donation of more than 10,000 "be hospitable" books to the non-profit organizations Books for Kids Foundation and Reach Out and Read, whose missions are to promote literacy among disadvantaged children.

To further enable others to participate in spreading the light and warmth of hospitality, the unique and limited edition book will be available for a nominal donation online at www.behospitable.com/givingback. For every $5 donation, the Hilton Family of Hotels will donate an additional book to Reach Out and Read as well as provide a copy of the book to the purchaser.

"Conrad Hilton's philosophy is the inspiration for the company's overarching message of kindness and generosity," said Mary Beth Parks, vice president of marketing. "With Parr's wonderfully whimsical illustrations, we are able to communicate universal human values to kids with the hope that they will be inspired to be as hospitable at home, in school and with their family and friends as they are when reading this book."

To kick off the release of the book, Hilton Family teamed-up with the Books for Kids Foundation to host a book reading by Parr on Friday, November 10 in New York City. The event was held at the Books for Kids and Credit Suisse Financial Institutions Group Library at Bank Street Head Start. The kids who attended the Head Start program each received a free "be hospitable" book which Parr signed. The Library, which opened its doors in July 2006, was made possible by generous donations from employees of Credit Suisse's Financial Institutions Group, who wanted to make a contribution to the local community.

Parr is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold more than two million copies worldwide. In "be hospitable," Parr provides audiences with a simple example of what being hospitable is...holding the door open, saying thank you, wishing someone good luck, serving breakfast in bed, and more. The book has a universal theme of graciousness and multiculturalism that are vital to today's youth.

be hospitable([R]) is the philosophy shared by all 10 hotel brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels. The message was introduced in newly designed internal communications and training materials and external marketing efforts in February 2006.

About Hilton Hotels Corporation

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 2,800 hotels and 490,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide.

The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton([R]), Conrad([R]), Coral by Hilton([R]), Doubletree([R]), Embassy Suites Hotels([R]), Hampton Inn([R]), Hampton Inn & Suites([R]), Hilton Garden Inn([R]), Hilton Grand Vacations[TM], Homewood Suites by Hilton([R]), Scandic and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection[TM].

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton's philosophy that, "It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality." The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable[R]. The philosophy is shared by all 10 brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

Hilton Hotels Corporation's sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Team will extend through the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, and includes the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team(s) and the 2007 U.S. Pan-Am Team.

For more information about our company, please visit www.hiltonworldwide.com, and to learn more about our "be hospitable" philosophy, please visit www.behospitable.com.

About Books for Kids

The Books for Kids Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote literacy among all children with special emphasis on children in low income areas. Books for Kids raises money so that it can donate books, create children's libraries in underserved locations, and participate in reading initiatives with community-based organizations. In its 20 years of operation, the Books for Kids Foundation has provided children with more than 5 million books with an estimated retail value of $45 million, built 53 libraries and distributed reading materials through approximately 280 agencies in the New York metro area and other communities served by Books for Kids chapters.