Hilton Hotels Corporation Nets Partnership With Avp

(Wednesday, May 31, 2006) - This summer, Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is serving up its hospitality expertise beach-side. The hotelier today announced a partnership establishing the Hilton Family of Hotels, including its flagship brand Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn brand, as the exclusive hospitality partner for the 2006 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. This 16-market cross-country tour features some of the world's top professional beach volleyball players.

Beginning this season, the hotelier will host tournament attendees inside the Hilton Family Hospitality Tent where VIP ticket holders including city officials, celebrities, top-level AVP sponsors and promoters can gather above center court to watch the pro-beach action while enjoying free beverages, a full upscale buffet station and hand-waited hors d'oeuvres. Selected Hilton HHonors members will also be invited to attend and experience the hospitality tent.

"This sponsorship provides an excellent opportunity to extend our renowned hospitality beyond the doors of our hotel rooms," said Mary Beth Parks, vice president of marketing, Hilton Family of Hotels. "Partnering with the AVP Tour enables us to tap into an energetic and active community that relishes world-class athletes pushing the boundaries of personal performance."

To activate its sponsorship in local communities, The Hilton Family is working with the AVP to host a series of free "Hilton AVP Youth Volleyball Clinics," where local youth volleyball players and hotel guests in select tour stops will have the opportunity to meet and further hone their volleyball skills from 2004 Olympic medalist Elaine Youngs and AVP's reigning defensive player of the year Rachel Wacholder. The pair have also struck individual sponsorship deals with The Hilton Family of Hotels, Hilton Hotels and Hilton Garden Inn.

"We are extremely excited to announce this new partnership between Hilton, the most recognizable hotel and hospitality chain in the world, and the AVP Crocs Tour," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "The deal will allow us to provide our players, sponsors, partners and fans with world-class hospitality as they compete in events throughout the season. We look forward to building this partnership in the years to come."

As part of the agreement, the Hilton Family of Hotels will provide a unique travel program for tournament attendees to book rooms when they travel. Team USA Advantage(TM) is an exclusive reservation Web portal offering discounted room rates on Hilton Family Hotels in tour markets, as well as direct support of the sport of volleyball in the United States. For more information, please visit http://volleyball.hfadvantage.com.

About Hilton Family of Hotels

Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,800 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(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) and the Waldorf=Astoria Collection(TM).

The following service marks are owned by Hilton Hospitality, Inc.: 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) and the Waldorf=Astoria Collection(TM). Conrad(R) is owned by Conrad Hospitality, LLC.

About Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels has been and continues to be a pioneering innovator in the full-service hospitality segment, operating under the belief that Travel is more than just A to B.... Travel Should Take You Places(TM). With a name that is synonymous with excellence in hospitality and respected throughout the world, Hilton celebrates the accomplishment, enlightenment, renewal and celebration that travel enables. This commitment to personal guest achievement influences all decisions about products, programs and amenities, and is underscored by the belief that travel can and should be transformative. Each unique Hilton Hotel was specially built to reflect the sense of place of its location and each team member chosen to reflect a commitment and support of the local culture and community. For more information, please visit our website at www.hilton.com and to learn more about our innovations for your own personal journey, please visit www.hiltonjourneys.com.

About Hilton Garden Inn

Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, mid-priced brand that continually strives to ensure today's busy travelers have everything they need to be most productive on the road -- from complimentary high-speed Internet access in all guestrooms and secure remote printing to the hotel's complimentary 24-hour business center to getting the perfect night's sleep. So whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the amenities and services for travelers to be their best, regardless of their "personal business."

The Hilton Garden Inn brand represents one of the cornerstones of the Hilton franchise growth strategy and currently has more than 400 hotels open or in development. For more information about Hilton Garden Inn hotels or to make reservations and find your next getaway, visit www.StayHGI.com or call 1-877-STAY-HGI in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

About AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc.

AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. AVP operates the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP CROCS Tour, which was originally organized in 1983. Featuring more than 150 of the top American men and women competitors in the sport, AVP will hold 16 AVP CROCS Tour events throughout the United States in 2006. In 2004, AVP athletes successfully represented the United States in Athens, Greece, winning gold and bronze medals, the first medals won by U.S. women in professional beach volleyball. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.

CONTACT: Cohn & Wolfe
Julia McQueen, 310-967-2966
julia_mcqueen@cohnwolfe.com
or
Brener Zwikel & Associates
Kimberly Moran, 818-344-6195
kimberlym@bzapr.com
or
HHC Brand Communications
Kendra Walker, 310-205-4017
kendra_walker@hilton.com
http://www.hiltonworldwide.com

SOURCE: Hilton Family of Hotels

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