Hilton Worldwide Selected to Operate New Columbus, Ohio Convention Headquarters Hotel

“We are thrilled to be operating a new convention center hotel in the heart of Columbus, the state’s dynamic capital city, which is considered a major tradeshow, exhibition and meetings destination, not only for the state, but for the entire region,” said Ted Ratcliff, Senior Vice President, Operations - Eastern North America, Hilton Worldwide. “We are excited to be involved in this spectacular new project, which will provide us with a strong presence in the state’s convention and meetings market,” he added.

“After carefully analyzing all proposals on the table, we made the decision to go with Hilton Worldwide because their proposal was the best fit financially and programmatically for our project,” said Bill Jennison, Executive Director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. “We are excited to soon have the Hilton flag flying over our new convention hotel and must thank Jeff Sachs of Strategic Advisory Group for their counsel and creative input in our decision process. With the additional room nights, we will now be able to compete for 92 percent of our target market in the industry.”

“With the addition of Hilton, we are proud to be working with yet another world-class sales team to market and sell Columbus as a preferred convention, tradeshow and meeting destination,” said Paul Astleford, President and CEO of Experience Columbus. “The addition of this full-service convention hotel, combined with the Greater Columbus Convention Center, will allow us to compete for a larger share of our state, regional and national convention market.”

“By choosing Hilton, Columbus is able to offer multiple convention-center-headquarters hotel opportunities to more than one convention or trade show at a time, as well as host larger national conventions and trade shows within the 1.7 million-square-foot Greater Columbus Convention Center,” said John Christie, chairman of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. “This partnership significantly strengthens our product offering in the global market.”

The new full-service convention hotel is expected to break ground in the summer of 2010 and is scheduled to open in fall 2012. The property is expected to have a large atrium in the lobby featuring skylights to give an indoor-outdoor feel with a combination brick and glass facade and include 54 suites and 30,650 square feet of banquet and meeting space. The total cost for the hotel project is estimated at $140 million.

About Hilton Hotels | Hilton Hotels is the stylish, forward-thinking global leader of hospitality that welcomes guests in more countries than any other full-service hotel brand. The Hilton brand currently includes more than 530 hotels and resorts in 76 countries, and plans to serve travelers in 80 countries by the end of 2011. By offering innovative products, services and amenities, Hilton enables travelers to be at their best 24/7, whether traveling for business or leisure. Start your journey at .

About Experience Columbus | Experience Columbus is the destination sales and marketing organization for the Greater Columbus community. Formerly the Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, Experience Columbus works with the Columbus community to create a competitive distinction in the visitor marketplace, attracting leisure visitors, conventions and meetings.