Jurys Inn Hotel Group and Hilton Worldwide Sign Franchise Agreement for Three London Hotels

Jurys Inn Hotel Group (“the Group” or “Jurys Inn”) and Hilton Worldwide, today announce that they have signed a franchise agreement for three Jurys Inn properties, all of which will join the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels.

Under the new agreement, Jurys Inn’s Chelsea and Islington hotels will be rebranded as DoubleTree by Hilton (during Spring and Summer 2014 respectively), while the Heathrow property will become Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow in December 2014. Jurys Inn will invest approximately £20 million in the planned rebranding, incorporating the current capital investment programme in the Chelsea and Islington hotels. The three hotels will continue to be owned and operated by Jurys Inn.

Commenting on the announcement, John Brennan, CEO of Jurys Inn Hotel Group, said, "This initiative will see three of our London hotels leverage their prime locations, a significant investment programme and Hilton’s upscale brands to further optimise future revenues and deliver exceptional service to our guests.

“The excellence of our leadership team and employees within these hotels, working in conjunction with our new partners in Hilton Worldwide, will ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our guests to DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn.”

Commenting on behalf of Hilton Worldwide, Jim Holthouser, executive vice president of global brands, said, “Both DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn have seen dramatic growth in the UK and are earning increased loyalty and preference both amongst UK guests and international visitors. We are delighted to be taking this next step with a partner such as Jurys Inn.”

The hotel improvement programme will bring a number of new facilities, including the addition of 143 guest rooms to the DoubleTree by Hilton - London Islington as part of a substantial extension. Guests at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow will see a full renovation including the addition of a Pavilion Pantry®, as well as benefitting from other amenities for which Hilton Garden Inn is known, including an on-site fitness centre and guest laundry.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development - Europe & Africa, Hilton Worldwide, said, "This is an incredible testament to the strength of our brands in London and the wider UK market. In the five years since we introduced DoubleTree by Hilton into the UK, it has grown rapidly, and with this signing we will have 10 hotels in the capital, 2,767 quality rooms, and yet more to come.

“We are delighted to be working with Jurys Inn’s visionary leadership team who will continue to be instrumental as we launch these superbly placed properties within our London portfolio, which includes 36 hotels trading or under development.”

Jurys Inn is a leading mid-market hospitality group with 32 hotels spread across the UK, Ireland and the Czech Republic. Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company that manages and operates 10 world class global hotel brands, comprising more than 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories.

The remaining 29 hotels within the Jurys Inn portfolio will continue to trade as Jurys Inn, building on the success the Group has achieved to date on the back of a sustained recovery in trading across all its hotels.

Jurys Inn recently completed a successful financial restructuring which saw new and existing shareholders commit substantial additional equity, in combination with a significant reduction in debt. The restructuring has allowed Jurys Inn to accelerate its future growth and development plans.

About Jurys Inn Hotel Group
Jurys Inn Hotel Group has 32 hotels in great city centre locations across the UK, Ireland and Czech Republic, employing approximately 2,000 people and catering to three million guests every year. Founded in Ireland, the Group’s consistently high customer service scores and employee satisfaction ratings have been reflected in a range of major industry accolades.

www.jurysinns.com
www.twitter.com/JurysInnsHotels
www.facebook.com/JurysInns
www.linkedin.com/company/jurys-inn-hotel-group


About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 94 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company’s portfolio of ten world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,000 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 665,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide. About DoubleTree By Hilton With a fast-growing, global collection of more than 360 upscale hotels in gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations across six continents, every little thing we do at DoubleTree by Hilton inspires us to create a rewarding experience for our hotel guests, our team members and the communities we proudly serve. Our hospitality begins with a warm chocolate chip cookie welcome upon arrival and continues with the award-winning Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, an array of fine services and amenities and our longstanding CARE Culture tradition that empowers more than 65,000 team members to provide the special comforts and acts of kindness that make the traveler feel human again.

To make reservations at any DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, travelers may visit our brand website at www.doubletree.com. Social media users may connect with us at www.facebook.com/doubletree, www.twitter.com/doubletree and www.youtube.com/doubletreehotels. For the latest news, story starters and fact sheets about our brand, reporters and bloggers may visit our DoubleTree by Hilton Global Media Center at www.doubletreebyhiltonglobalmediacenter.com. About Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, upscale, yet affordable hotel brand that continually strives to ensure today’s busy travelers have everything they need to be most productive on the road — from our oh-so-comfortable Garden Sleep System® bed to complimentary wired and Wi-Fi Internet access in all guestrooms. So whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the amenities and services for travelers to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while away from home. For more information about our locations around the globe, visit www.hgi.com or www.news.hgi.com.