Hilton Sydney Takes Out Unprecedented Number Of Awards

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (Monday, June 05, 2006) - Less than one year since opening, Hilton Sydney has proved it's place as Australia's number one hotel for fine dining, rest and play, winning an unprecedented five categories at the prestigious 2006 Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Awards.

Recognised as Australia's leading authority on hospitality and tourism the AHA Awards are the Oscars of the hospitality industry, designed to celebrate excellence in service, dining and marketing.

Justin Owen, General Manager for the Accommodation Division, AHA, said "To win five AHA Awards against such strong competition is an unprecedented result for the industry and a magnificent achievement for the Hilton Sydney."

On Friday night, Hilton Sydney was the proud recipient of the following awards:
• Redeveloped Hotel of the Year 2006
• Restaurant of the Year 2006 (glass)
• Bar of the Year 2006 (Zeta)
• Employee Excellence in Service 2006 (Mamdoh Kiriakos, Head Doorman)
• Website of the Year 2006

Following a $200 million investment, Hilton Sydney underwent a dramatic rooftop to basement reconstruction to produce a complete re-think on hotel form and function.

Oded Lifschitz, Vice President Hilton International Australasia commented "Hilton Sydney was not a redevelopment it was a complete ‘rethink' – from design, to people and services, food and beverage, wine, uniforms, communication and events and conferencing. Winning these awards within a year of opening is a credit to all of the people involved in making it happen."

Mike Nalborczyk, Hotel Manager commented "The biggest winners are our customers who have been able to enjoy the new Hilton Sydney and its unique service offering. The Hilton Sydney team is made up of thought leaders who are committed to setting the standard for the industry in Australia and worldwide."

Website of the Year 2006

The Hilton Sydney team completely re-wrote traditional approaches to hotel marketing, and developed a unique ‘Thought Leaders' philosophy. Developing relationships with expert partners at all levels and at every opportunity, great people were engaged to deliver inspired ideas.

Dr Ron Georgiou Master of Wine, Tina Kalivas Fashion Designer, Luke Mangan Restaurateur, Bronwyn Oliver Artist – all of these thought leaders were integral to a marketing campaign that utilised the web, PR, internal communication and a celebrity ambassador program to ‘get the world talking about Hilton Sydney'.

The Hilton Sydney website is a comprehensive site of over 100 pages. The site received over 23 million hits in just 10 months and a phenomenal 700,000 hits on Launch Day (Friday 15th July) alone.

Restaurant of the Year 2006

Winner of ‘Restaurant of the Year', glass brasserie combines the internationally acclaimed interior design of New York designer Tony Chi, the exceptional culinary expertise of highly awarded local restaurateur Luke Mangan and the inspirational palette of Master of Wine, Dr Ron Georgiou to create an Australian evocation of the classic French brasserie.

Luke Mangan commented "glass has given me the freedom to work with the food I love and really want to cook – it is a truly inspired space. This award recognises the hard work and immense energy my whole team has put towards launching this exciting new dining experience to the Australian market."

Bar of the Year 2006

Winning its second award since opening Zeta bar, Sydney's sexiest celebrity nightspot and sister to London's hottest bar, offers an exotic oasis in the heart of the city combined with cutting edge drinks designed by Mikey Enright and Grant Collins.

"Acknowledgment from our peers within the hospitality industry is what gives us a great sense of pride and excitement. At Zeta we have brought together Australia's most creative bar talent and as this award proves, we believe Zeta is a bar that truly competes on the world stage," said Mikey Enright, Bar Manager for Zeta Sydney.

Employee Excellence in Service 2006

A real winner today is Mamdoh Kiriakos, Head Doorman, who has been with Hilton for almost 30 years. In July 2005 Mamdoh returned to the new Hilton Sydney as Doorman to once again open the hotel's doors to the world and combine the goodwill of the past with the wow factor of today. On his return he commented "It feels like a large family that has been living in a small cottage. They went away on a holiday and returned to find themselves living in a castle."

Today he said "I get great satisfaction from helping people, from seeing other people happy. That is why, the hotel is my way of life, not a career and it is with great honour that I accept this award and can continue to do what I enjoy most."

NOTES TO MEDIA

For media inquiries including interviews and images, please contact Horizon Communication Group care of Tel: 61 2 8572 5600 or visit www.hiltonworldwide.com and follow the links to the News Archive through the ‘Press and Media Info' section.

About Hilton Sydney
• Hilton Sydney has proved it's place as Australia's number one hotel for fine dining, rest and play, winning an unprecedented number of titles both nationally and internationally:
• Australian Hotel Association (AHA) Redeveloped Hotel of the Year 2006
• AHA Restaurant of the Year 2006 (glass)
• AHA Bar of the Year 2006 (Zeta)
• AHA Employee Excellence in Service 2006 (Mamdoh Kiriakos, Head Doorman)
• AHA Website of the Year 2006
• Hilton Sydney was the only hotel in Australia to feature in the Conde Nast Traveler (US) 2006 Hot List.
• Zeta Bar was the only bar in Australia to feature in the Conde Nast Traveler (US) 2006 Hot List.
• Glass Brasserie was one of only two restaurants in Australia to feature in Conde Nast Traveler (US) the 2006 Hot List.
• Hilton Sydney opened its doors on July 15 2005 following a 30 month and AUD$200 million rooftop to basement reconstruction to produce a complete re-think on hotel form and function.
• The hotel is home to:
• glass, a French style "brasserie" headed by esteemed Australian chef Luke Mangan.
• Zeta bar – a spin off from award-winning Zeta London at Hilton Park Lane
• Marble Bar - Sydney's favourite Heritage-listed watering hole
• Contemporary new-look GAB bar
• Street-side casual eatery, Caffé Cino
• LivingWell Premier Health Club - the biggest hotel-based health club in Australia and the largest and most luxurious club in the Sydney city centre
• Four dedicated levels of event and conferencing space totaling 4000 square metres and a capacity for 3000 delegates
• The Hilton Sydney offers packages that guarantee to seriously spoil the both of you, including the Cloud 9 package ($499-Quote ‘CD'), Romance package ($379 Quote ‘RP') and Getaway package ($349 Quote ‘GQ')

To book or to hear more about other inspiring offers, please call Hilton Sydney on +61 (0)2 9266 2000 or visit www.sydney.hilton.com

Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with nearly 2,700 hotels and 475,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, with 150,000 team members worldwide. More than 2,300 hotels are owned, managed or franchised in North America with a portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton®, Conrad®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™.

Horizon Communication Group
Carla Webb or Sylvia Jenson
T 61 (0) 2 8572 5600
M 61 (0) 403 675 096
carla@horizoncommunication.com.au

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