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Hilton to Open First Upscale Resort in Weerawila, Sri Lanka

DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila scheduled to start operations in Q1 2018
2017-06-06 09:00 4696

WEERAWILA, Sri Lanka and MCLEAN, Va., June 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and DoubleTree by Hilton today signed a management agreement with KDU Adventures (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of KDU Group (Pvt) Ltd, to manage the 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2018. The latest signing brings the current Hilton pipeline hotels in Sri Lanka to seven properties.

From left to right: Thushan Upasena -- Deputy Chairman, KDU Group; Susantha Pointo -- CEO, KDU Group; Saman Upasena -- Chairman, KDU Group; William Costley -- Vice-President Operations (South East Asia), Hilton; Kieran Bestall -- Director Development (Asia Pacific), Hilton; Deelaka Upasena -- Director, KDU Group
From left to right: Thushan Upasena -- Deputy Chairman, KDU Group; Susantha Pointo -- CEO, KDU Group; Saman Upasena -- Chairman, KDU Group; William Costley -- Vice-President Operations (South East Asia), Hilton; Kieran Bestall -- Director Development (Asia Pacific), Hilton; Deelaka Upasena -- Director, KDU Group

"With a fast-growing, global portfolio of more than 500 upscale properties, we are delighted that our award-winning DoubleTree by Hilton brand is gaining traction in Sri Lanka. The DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila will mark the fourth upcoming DoubleTree by Hilton property in this emerging market," said Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. "As the first upscale hotel in Weerawila, we look forward to delivering exceptional experiences to guests beginning with our signature, warm DoubleTree Cookie welcome."

Located in the town of Tissamaharama, within Sri Lanka's Hambantota district, DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila lies on the bank of tranquil Lake Weerawila. It is also near to the Weerawila Bird Sanctuary, a nesting ground for hundreds of diverse bird species.

The hotel provides good accessibility to three of the top 10 most visited wildlife sanctuaries in Sri Lanka: Yala National Park, Udawalawe National Park, and Bundala National Park. It is also near to the Matala International Airport, the Hambantota Port, Kataragama & Sacred City, and is within close proximity to the historic Tissamaharama town center. Sri Lankan wildlife sanctuaries are renowned for their extensive diversity of wild animal life as well as ecosystems ranging from monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands.

"As tourism in Sri Lanka continues to grow, expanding our footprint in developing towns, including Tissamaharama, supports our mission to be the world's most hospitable company by being in destinations where our guests want to travel. The signing of DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila demonstrates our commitment to fill the existing gap of an international accommodation in the area, giving us a clear first-mover advantage in offering our award-winning hospitality to both international and domestic tourists," said Guy Philips, senior vice president of development, Asia and  Australasia, Hilton.

Counted amongst the "Top 10 Coolest Countries" in the world to visit in 2015 according to Forbes magazine, Sri Lanka welcomed a record number of international visitors in 2016, reaching over two million, a 14 percent increase from 2015.  As a prominent town of the Hambantota district, Tissamaharama, the former capital of the ancient Ruhunu Kingdom, has been instrumental in driving tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka because of its rich heritage and adventure tourism offerings.

DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila will participate in Hilton Honors®, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 14 distinct brands. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, such as an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi and a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of points and money to book a stay. Members can also redeem their points for free nights, and can gain access to unique events through the Hilton Honors auction platform.

Media can access more information on DoubleTree by Hilton at http://www.doubletree.com and http://news.doubletree.com.

About KDU Group

The KDU Group of Sabaragamuwa is the largest producer of tea in Sri Lanka – well known for their flagship Galpaditenne Tea Factory, which is the largest black orthodox tea factory in the country.  The KDU Group owns eight state-of-the-art factories in the Sabaragamuwa Province and produces 12 million kilograms of tea annually, contributing to four percent of Sri Lanka's entire tea production. Today, Galpaditenne Tea Factory alone produces over four million kilograms of tea annually and bears the distinction of being the world's largest black orthodox tea manufacturing facility. It has also been producing the highest volume of tea in a single factory continually for the last 18 years. The KDU Group has also ventured into F&B, hydropower, and petroleum industries.

About DoubleTree by Hilton

DoubleTree by Hilton is a fast-growing, global portfolio of more than 500 upscale hotels with more than 119,000 rooms in gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations across six continents. DoubleTree by Hilton prides itself on paying attention to the little details that have a big impact, from welcoming guests with its signature warm DoubleTree Cookie to serving the communities around them. DoubleTree by Hilton hotels offer unique, contemporary accommodations and full-service facilities, including restaurants and lounges, room service, health clubs, business centers and meeting and banquet space. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount that can't be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi and digital amenities like digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key (select locations), available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. To make reservations, travelers may visit doubletree.com. Connect with DoubleTree by Hilton on facebook.com/doubletreetwitter.com/doubletree and instagram.com/doubletree. Journalists may visit news.doubletree.com

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, with a portfolio of 14 world-class brands comprising nearly 5,000 properties with more than 812,000 rooms in 103 countries and territories. Hilton is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world's most hospitable company by delivering exceptional experiences -- every hotel, every guest, every time. The company's portfolio includes Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by HiltonTM, DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by HiltonTM, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton Honors. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose exactly how many Points to combine with money, an exclusive member discount that can't be found anywhere else and free standard Wi-Fi. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information and connect with Hilton on FacebookTwitterLinkedInInstagram and YouTube

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170605/1867979-1

Source: Hilton
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