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HILTON HOTELS CORPORATION
BECOMES “FOUNDING CORPORATE PARTNER” OF
HISPANIC HOTEL OWNERS ASSOCIATION (HHOA)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., September 22, 2006 – At a press conference held today at the 27 th Annual United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) National Convention & Business Expo, Hilton Hotels Corporation announced that it has become “Founding Corporate Partner” of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA). Hilton received the exclusive sponsorship designation by providing initial funds required for the association’s formation and preliminary development.
“From its inception, Hilton Hotels Corporation has been supportive of our vision,” said Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, president and founder of HHOA. “Their unwavering commitment to this initiative has led to the establishment of a new organization that will offer Hispanic hotel owners, hospitality executives and entrepreneurs an opportunity to play a more prominent role in the ownership and development of hotels. With Hilton’s continued collaboration, HHOA will be the primary resource Hispanic entrepreneurs need to guide them through the steps of hotel ownership.”
The formation of HHOA is a direct result of Hilton’s minority franchise development outreach seminar “Hospitality 101.” The seminar, which educates minority entrepreneurs on the basics of hotel development, was piloted by Hilton and has become a “best practice” in minority franchise development outreach across the industry.
“For several years now Hilton has been actively engaged in educating African American, Hispanic and female entrepreneurs on hotel ownership opportunities,” said Floyd Pitts, senior director, diversity programs for Hilton Hotels Corporation. “We are pleased to support HHOA on its mission and believe our involvement speaks volumes on our commitment to Diversity, as well as complements our continued support of the National Black Hotel Owners Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).”
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Michael L. Barrera stated, “We congratulate Hilton Hotels Corporation on its commitment to diversity and its role behind the formation of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association. We wish them great success in all their efforts to facilitate the participation of Hispanics in the hospitality industry."
About Hispanic Hotel Owners Association
HHOA is a newly formed non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The association’s core mission is to increase the number of Hispanic owned, developed and operated hotels, further the participation of Hispanic owned suppliers serving the hotel industry and increase executive level employment opportunities within the lodging industry. For more information, please visit www.hhoa.org.
About Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) is the leading global hospitality company, with over 2,800 hotels and 490,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, including 150,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton ®, Conrad ®, Coral by Hilton ®, Doubletree ®, Embassy Suites Hotels ®, Hampton Inn ®, Hampton Inn & Suites ®, Hilton Garden Inn ®, Hilton Grand Vacations™, Homewood Suites by Hilton ® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™. For more information, please visit .
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Marriott International Becomes Corporate Founding Partner of
Hispanic Hotel Owners Association
Makes $100,000 Grant to Increase Hispanic Hotel Ownership
WASHINGTON, D.C.—February 1, 2007—Officials of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA) announced Marriott International, Inc (NYSE:MAR) as a Corporate Founding Partner and that the HHOA was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Washington-based hotel leader to support new initiatives and programs.
As a Corporate Founding Partner, Marriott will play an integral part in a new program designed to communicate the advantages and benefits of hotel ownership to the Hispanic community. Marriott also will have a role in the organization’s 2007 inaugural national conference later this year.
“The response to and support of the formation of HHOA from Marriott and the hotel community has been very gratifying,” said Omar Rodriguez, chairman of the HHOA and president of Rodriguez & Associates, a hotel development, architectural and design firm. “Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States are growing three times faster than the national average for all firms and generating more than $220 billion in annual revenue, which makes
Hispanic Hotel Owners Association
them a highly attractive candidate for hotel investment. With Marriott’s support, we intend to become a catalyst for bringing the Latino and hospitality communities together for the benefit of both.”
“As an industry leader, we are continuously identifying opportunities to diversify our ownership base and we wholeheartedly support the concept behind HHOA,” said Norman K. Jenkins, senior vice president, North American Lodging Development, Marriott International. “This is an excellent vehicle for Marriott to expand its growing relationship with the Hispanic community, including developers and suppliers. There are nearly 30,000 Hispanic businesses each generating at least $1 million in annual revenues, with three out of 10 of those companies involved in construction, so we are very much interested in this emerging market. We look forward to building a mutually rewarding relationship with HHOA.”
Marriott International, Inc. has a long-standing history and commitment to diversity. The company has been recognized for its initiatives with supplier diversity, human resources and hotel ownership by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as well as Latina Style, Hispanic Business, and DiversityInc magazines.
About HHOA
Headquartered in Washington, D.C, HHOA is a newly formed non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of Hispanic owned, developed and operated hotels, further the participation of Hispanic owned suppliers serving the hotel industry and increase executive level employment opportunities within the lodging industry. Additional information is available at the association’s Web site www.hhoa.org.
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Hispanic Hotel Owners Association’s Membership Surges in First Months of Existence
Association Enrolls 175 Members Since September Launch
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2007— The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA), a newly-formed non-profit organization intended to support and promote the Hispanic community within the hospitality industry, today announced that in only five months since its formation, its membership has reached 175. HHOA officially announced its launch on September 22, 2006.
“The overwhelming membership interest and response we’re getting is great, and it’s what we anticipated,” said Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, president and founder of Hispanic Hotel Owners Association. “Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States. HHOA was founded to support Hispanic hoteliers and vendors and create points of entry for Hispanics who have the ability and desire to succeed in the hospitality industry. Our rapidly growing membership rolls clearly demonstrate the opportunity vacuum that HHOA is meant to fill.”
A preliminary study by the nascent organization indicates that Latin America is at the forefront of international expansion of the hotel industry, with nearly 30,000 Hispanics having the financial resources to invest in hotel ownership. As a result, there is strong hotel industry interest in attracting Hispanic investors. HHOA is planning its inaugural convention to be held in the 2007 fourth quarter.
HHOA membership is open to hotel owners, developers, investors, financiers, real estate executives, investment bankers, professional advisors, analysts, franchisors, management company executives, industry product and service providers, hotel general managers, hotel sales and marketing managers, government agencies for tourism and development, hospitality schools, hospitality students or anyone seeking to do business within the Hispanic market.
About HHOA
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., HHOA is a newly formed non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of Hispanic-owned, -developed and -operated hotels, further the participation of Hispanic-owned suppliers serving the hotel industry and increase executive level employment opportunities for Hispanics within the lodging industry. The industry’s leading brands, including Hilton Hotels Corporation, Marriott International, Choice Hotels International and InterContinental Hotels Group, have joined the organization and become major corporate sponsors. Additional information about HHOA is available at the association’s Web site, www.hhoa.org.
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Hispanic Business Leaders Form New Association to Increase Hotel Ownership
Philadelphia – September 22, 2006 Today, The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA) publicly announces its formation during the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 27 th Annual Convention. After several months of preparation, board members and association president, Angela Gonzalez-Rowe are pleased to offer Hispanic hotel owners, hospitality executives and entrepreneurs an opportunity to play a more prominent role in the ownership and development of hotels. The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association mission is to increase the number of Hispanic developed, owned and operated hotels, further the participation of Hispanic owned businesses serving the hotel industry and increase executive level employment opportunities within the lodging industry.
The development of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association began in December 2006 as a result of a Hilton Hotels sponsored seminar on hotel ownership in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, Associate Publisher and Editor in Chief of Hispanic Meetings & Travel magazine and Floyd Pitts, Sr. Director Diversity Programs for Hilton Hotels Corporation began collaborating on the idea of establishing an association that would help guide Hispanic entrepreneurs through the steps of hotel development/ownership. Turning the idea into reality began when Hilton agreed to fund the preliminary development of its formation.
“The benefits of membership to this association are substantial. The potential for minority business in the lodging industry looks vast, and many hotel franchises have much to gain by pursuing the current landscape in the United States”, said Angela Gonzalez Rowe.
According to a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States are growing three times faster than the national average for all firms and generating more than $200 billion in annual revenue. The bureau's March 21 Survey of Business Owners highlighting Hispanic-Owned Firms indicated that the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States grew 31 percent between 1997 and 2002 to nearly 1.6 million entities. Those firms generated about $222 billion in revenue in 2002 -- the most recent year for which data is available. Three in 10 Hispanic-owned firms were engaged in construction and other services, and 44 percent of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by people of Mexican origin, according to the Census Bureau's 2002 data. The report also found that retail and wholesale trade accounted for 36 percent of Hispanic-owned business revenue and that there were 29,184 Hispanic owned firms with revenue of $1 million or more in 2002.
Gonzalez-Rowe stated “These findings show us that the emergence of Hispanic-owned business mirrors the growth of the Hispanic population in the United States. As U.S. Hispanics further establish their business presence in this country, their success will filter back to their country of origin. This will strengthen the economic links between the U.S. Hispanic market and the rest of the hemisphere creating a strong entrepreneurial group and a wider base of intellectual capital in the Western Hemisphere.”
Today, HHOA is offering programs that are designed to attract more Hispanic entrepreneurs into the hotel industry by building awareness of the opportunities that exist in hospitality. The elements of these programs have been created to provide prospective investors with the resources, support and information to assist him or her as a hotel owner, operator or developer. Some of these resources are currently available on the association web site www.hhoa.org. Designed to be user friendly and offer site visitors valuable resources to get them started in hotel development, the site is also is being utilized to connect Hispanic entrepreneurs with other hotel owners as well as franchisors and other service providers.
Through the support of its Corporate Founding Partner, Hilton Hotels Corporation and other Corporate Sponsors such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Cendant, Choice and Marriott Hotels International. The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association is offering The Keys to Success - Building Wealth through Hotel Ownership.
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