Hilton is making headway in its strategy to expand its Latin American hotel portfolio of over 100 hotels. During the 12 months ended June 30, 2017, Hilton has signed approximately 30 new deals, maintaining a pipeline of over 70 properties in Latin America and opened 15 new hotels. Six of these new hotels opened this year in Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay.
As one of the top tourist destinations in the region, Argentina remains a key market for the company. Hilton currently has three hotels open, including Hilton Buenos Aires, Hilton Garden Inn Tucuman and Anselmo Buenos Aires, Curio Collection by Hilton. "Our team continues to focus on Latin America for development and growth opportunities. The dynamic region offers great potential for the travel industry as we see recovering economies as well as a continued focus on driving foreign investments," Ted Middleton, SVP of development in Latin America, Hilton, said in a statement. "With 5.6 million international travelers visiting Argentina in 2016, Argentina is one of the top 15 destinations in the world and plays an incredibly important role in our expansion efforts."
The company recently redesigned Hilton Buenos Aires' lobby and dining spaces. In addition, Hilton is pursuing further growth opportunities in Argentina and has four hotels under design or construction, including:
- Hilton Pilar, Buenos Aires—expected to open in the first quarter of 2018
- Hilton Garden Inn Neuquen—expected to open mid-2018
- Hampton by Hilton Bariloche—expected to open in 2019
- Hilton Garden Inn Santa Fe—expected to open in 2020
Development Pipeline and Brands
Across the region, approximately 60 percent of Hilton's projects are driven by focused-service brands, such as Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton. The company's current portfolio in Latin America includes nine brands while its expansion plans in the region span seven of the company's existing brands: Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton.
Hilton has a pipeline of over 70 projects and 11,300 guestrooms across Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru. Recent pipeline highlights include the 220-guestroom Hampton by Hilton Santiago Las Condes, which was signed as the brand's largest in South America. The new Hampton Inn follows last year's signings of the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts hotel in Chile, Hilton Santiago Las Condes and Hilton Asuncion, the brand's first in Paraguay. The hotel group also signed Hilton Medellin and Hilton Bogota Corferias, Colombia and nearly 10 deals across Central America, including the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts hotel in Guatemala. The Hilton development pipeline also includes approximately 15 new deals in Mexico-where Hilton now has over 30 projects, including the first Curio Collection by Hilton in the country.
New Hotels
As of the second quarter of 2017, Hilton has surpassed 100 hotels in the region with over 17,500 guestrooms. New hotel highlights this year include Hilton Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, the company's 100th hotel in the region, and several brand milestones in new markets, such as Conrad San Luis Potosi, the brand's debut property in Mexico, Hampton Inn by Hilton Cancun Las Cumbres, the company's first in Cancun, and Hampton by Hilton Montevideo Carrasco, the brand's first in Uruguay, among others.
By the end of 2017, Hilton is planning to open approximately 20 hotels, including the six already added to the portfolio this year. Upcoming opening highlights include:
- Hilton Garden Inn Santo Andre-Brazil: expected to open in September 2017
- Hilton Garden Inn Santa Fe, Mexico City-Mexico: expected to open in the fourth quarter 2017, Hilton's first dual-brand property in Mexico, next to the DoubleTree by Hilton Mexico City Santa Fe
- The Fives Downtown Hotel & Residences, Curio Collection by Hilton-Mexico: expected to open in the fourth quarter 2017, the first for the brand in Mexico
- Conrad Cartagena-Colombia: expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2017, the first for the brand in Colombia
- Hampton by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton Bogota Airport-Colombia: both expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2017
- Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club, Curio Collection by Hilton-Belize: expected to open by the end of the year
Additional property openings are planned in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru.