Hilton Worldwide officially launches Hilton Surfers Paradise

GOLD COAST, Australia (16 November, 2011) – The Hilton Surfers Paradise complex on Queensland's Gold Coast will be officially launched tonight and is central in the revitalisation of the Hilton portfolio in Queensland and Hilton’s expansion in Australasia.

Development in the region has been an important source of expansion for Hilton over the past decade, and the revitalisation of the Hilton brand in Queensland has been a major part of the company’s growth plans.

Vice President Operations Hilton Worldwide Australasia, Ashley Spencer said, “development in Queensland has been central to our growth strategy across Australasia, our new flagship property in Surfers Paradise is the first new upper upscale international hotel to be built on the Gold Coast in over 10 years.”

While the prevailing view is that Surfers Paradise is a predominantly leisure market, the hotel has been multipurpose built with growth in business travel in mind.

The Gold Coast caters to half of the business travel expenditure in Queensland, with the new Hilton Surfers Paradise being an instrumental addition to support growth in this market.

“About half of the investment spent on business travel in Queensland is on the Gold Coast, and this is only expected to rise following the introduction of new business class flights and returning business confidence,” said Mr Spencer.

Initially the project stalled, but was re-commenced in 2009 when ANZ and Brookfield Multiplex put together a financing and development management structure that saw the recommencement of the $700 million project, including a retail complex, apartments as well as a Hilton managed hotel.

Brookfield Multiplex Australasia managing director George Kostas said the innovative, world-class design of Hilton Surfers Paradise catered for a wide range of markets.

“Hilton Surfers Paradise is one of the first projects of its kind of this scale in Australia. It’s a landmark for the Gold Coast, featuring both a dedicated hotel and residences with access to hotel services,” he said.

“We have achieved more than $430 million of apartment sales in a particularly tough market and, as a result, we believe Hilton Surfers Paradise will be a catalyst for more of this style of development across Australia, catering to visitors, residents and investors alike.

“The development was delivered ahead of time and on budget, providing two new signature towers on the Gold Coast skyline and a significant boost for its economy. It will continue to have a positive impact on the community well into the future.”

Stage one, Boulevard Tower opened last December, and the second and final stage, Orchid Tower opened this month. The 32 and 57 level properties include a signature restaurant by Luke Mangan, Salt Grill, executive lounge, fitness centre, pool and the highly anticipated eforea: Spa.

Hilton Surfers Paradise General Manager David Kelly said the complex had been specifically designed in response to the demand for more flexible and spacious holiday options in the area.

“This is an absolutely striking addition to our portfolio, with state of the art design, optimised technology and impeccable service standards for which our company is founded on,” said Mr Kelly.

Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the Hilton Surfers Paradise was an instant icon on the Surfers Paradise stage.

“What a spectacular addition to the famous Surfers Paradise experience, this is an iconic venue with a world class offering and a globally renowned brand right in the revitalised heart of Australia’s most popular tourist destination.”

Catering to both business and leisure travel markets, the two towers feature a combined 410 one, two and three bedroom residences, and a 169 room Hilton hotel. Purchasers of the residential apartments also have the option of placing them under the management of the Hilton.

About Hilton Surfers Paradise
Hilton Surfers Paradise is the first leisure-focused hotel and residences from Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Australia. It is also the first global upscale hotel to be built on the Gold Coast since 2000. The development consists of two spectacular curved towers rising above the city skyline, with the Boulevard Tower opening its doors to both residents and guests in late 2010 and the Orchid Tower which welcomed its first guests in September 2011. The complete project offers Hilton guests a combination of 250 one, two and three bedroom residences, and 169 guest rooms and suites.

About Hilton Hotels & Resorts
One of the most recognized names in the industry, Hilton Hotels & Resorts stands as the stylish, forward thinking global leader in hospitality. From inaugural balls and Hollywood award galas to business events and days to remember, Hilton is where the world makes history, closes the deal, toasts special occasions and gets away from it all. The flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide continues to build upon its legacy of innovation by developing products and services to meet the needs of tomorrow's savvy global travelers while more than 144,000 Team Members shape experiences in which every guest feels cared for, valued and respected. Today, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes more than 540 hotels in 78 countries and the brand remains synonymous with "hotel." Access the latest Hilton news at www.hiltonglobalmediacenter.com or begin your journey at www.hilton.com. Social media users can engage with Hilton at www.twitter.com/hiltononline, www.facebook.com/hilton and www.youtube.com/hilton. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is one of Hilton Worldwide’s ten market-leading brands.

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands.Its brands are comprised of more than 3,750 hotels and timeshare properties, with 615,000 rooms in 85 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors.For more information about the company, visitwww.HiltonWorldwide.comor connect with Hilton Worldwide atwww.HiltonWorldwide.com/Media.

About Brookfield Multiplex
Brookfield Multiplex is a leader in global contracting and development management – we build, engineer and maintain property and infrastructure assets.
Delivering major projects on behalf of landowners across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Canada, Brookfield Multiplex is one of the few international contracting businesses that offer expertise across the entire design, development and construction life cycle of a project.
Brookfield Multiplex was established in Australia in 1962 and over nearly five decades Brookfield Multiplex has completed more than 723 projects across the globe with a combined value of AUD$ 47.7 billion.
The Brookfield Multiplex contracting business currently has an AUD$ 8.1 billion global workbook across 38 projects spanning a variety of sectors including residential, entertainment, health, retail, commercial and education.
Brookfield Multiplex is known for its industry expertise and award-winning approach having won over 410 awards for innovation and setting standards across all sectors.

Contact:
Charlotte Seymour
Hilton Worldwide
+61 447 710 099

CP Communications
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