WHY IT RATES: Hilton continues to grow its international footprint, which is great news for travel agents serving clients who live to travel outside the United States.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.
Hilton announced plans to welcome Atolon Hotel Cartagena Tierra Bomba, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn Pereira and Hilton Garden Inn Cartagena to the company’s growing portfolio in Colombia, where Hilton currently has 18 hotels open and welcoming travelers. The first in-market Curio Collection by Hilton property is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, while the two Hilton Garden Inn hotels are set to open by the first quarter of 2020.
“As we continue to expand our regional portfolio, Colombia remains a priority market due to the consistent growth of its tourism industry. Experiencing an annual increase of 24 percent in international visitors from 2016 to 2017, the country recently approved 20 new international routes,” said Juan Corvinos, vice president, development, Latin America and the Caribbean, Hilton. “With a robust pipeline of nine projects in Colombia, we are proud to further our expansion with the debut of Curio Collection by Hilton in one of the region’s top destinations while continuing to grow the Hilton Garden Inn brand’s in-market presence.”
Owned by Natturale Hotel SAS and scheduled to open in early 2019, the distinctive Atolon Hotel Cartagena Tierra Bomba, Curio Collection by Hilton, will mark the brand’s debut in Colombia. Currently under construction, the 66-room hotel will offer guests an authentically local experience on Tierra Bomba Island, located approximately 15 minutes by boat from Cartagena and its magical walled city. The hotel will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant, swimming pools, spa and private beaches of the Caribbean Sea.
Hilton Garden Inn Pereira, owned by GR Hoteles SAS, will be the company’s first hotel in Pereria, which forms part of Colombia’s coffee axis – “el eje cafetero” and the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. Set to begin construction this month, the 164-room property will be part of a mixed-use development including retail, offices and a private clinic. Already under construction, a 69-room Hilton Garden Inn owned by Futuristico Group SAS will also be opening in Cartagena’s high-end neighborhood of Bocagrande, representing Hilton’s fourth hotel in the city.
Hilton currently has a portfolio of nearly 140 hotels and resorts open and welcoming travelers in the Caribbean and Latin America, including 18 properties in Colombia. The company is actively pursuing additional growth opportunities and currently has a robust development pipeline of nearly 90 hotels throughout the region, including nine hotels under design or construction in Colombia in Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, Pereira and Santa Marta.
In the last year, Hilton has opened five hotels across three brands in the country, including the in-market debut of the Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand in Cartagena. Early next year, Hilton plans to open the highly anticipated Hilton Bogota Corferias Convention Center, located in the heart of the city’s commercial area.
The properties will be part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 14 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly 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, free standard Wi-Fi and access to the Hilton Honors mobile app.
For more information, reach out to your local travel agent.
SOURCE: Hilton press release.
