March 28, 2003 - Hilton Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce its top hotel performance award winners for 2002, which were presented last week during the company's Full-Service Brand Conference in New Orleans. 

Award recipients chosen from the brand's 230 full-service hotels across the U.S., Canada and Mexico were determined through key areas within the brand's Balanced Scorecard rating system -- customer loyalty, brand consistency, quality assurance and customer satisfaction ratings -- as well as exemplary efforts in hotel renovation and diversity projects. Each hotel received a trophy and individual recognition at specially planned celebratory receptions during the conference. 

"The Hilton Hotels & Resorts Performance Awards Program represents the continued pledge to guest service and satisfaction that each of our Hilton hotels strive to provide our guests," said Robert E. Dirks, senior vice president -- brand management and marketing for the Hilton brand. "Each of our award recipients personify performance excellence in key areas that are integral to the success of our business." 
 

BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE -- Connie Awards (named in honor of company founder Conrad Hilton) are presented to the top airport, commercial and resort hotels with the highest overall hotel performance scores.  AIRPORT -- Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, Texas  COMMERCIAL -- Hilton Lac Leamy, Quebec Canada  RESORT -- Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas, Arizona  CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AWARD -- Awarded to the top airport, commercial and resort hotels with the highest marked

Hilton Lac-Leamy  3, boulevard du Casino  Hull (Quebec) J8Y 6X4 Canada

• AIRPORT -- Hilton Ontario Airport, California 
• COMMERCIAL --  Hilton East Memphis, Tennessee 
• RESORT -- Hilton Palm Springs Resort, California 

• UNDER 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Lac Leamy, Quebec Canada 
• MORE THAN 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Hawaiian Village(R) Beach Resort & Spa, Hawaii

• UNDER 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Palm Beach Airport, Florida 
• MORE THAN 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hawaii 

• UNDER 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, British Columbia Canada 
• MORE THAN 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Portland, Oregon 

Hilton Costa Mesa, California 3050 Bristol Street  Costa Mesa, California

• UNDER 500 ROOMS  Hilton Costa Mesa, California Built in 1987, this hotel has recently completed a $15.5 million renovation that led to a renewal and enhancement of the hotel's public areas, meeting space, dining facility, pool deck, suites and guest rooms. An intimate blend of light wood, contemporary design and 50-foot live palm trees in the hotel's airy atrium now  greet guests to this hotel with a true Coastal California welcome. 
• MORE THAN 500 ROOMS  Hilton Los Angeles Airport, California - In 2002, this 1,200-room hotel celebrated the completion of a $10 million dollar Conference Center renovation, which included the addition of a new ballroom, a meeting room, two boardrooms and a dedicated 24-hour Business Center. Existing breakout rooms, were doubled in size, and a complete redesign of the Convention Services Desk was made -- all within the existing space at the hotel. 

• UNDER 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Glendale, California Following the events of September 11th, the Hilton Glendale developed a youth education and awareness program as part of the community's recovery effort to teach students important lessons about hate crimes, prejudice and discrimination being directed against certain ethnic groups. Because a Hilton Glendale team member identified how this situation paralleled U.S. internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II, the hotel developed a team to work with the Glendale Unified School District to organized visits to the Japanese American National Museum for more than 2,600 9th grade students. Team members from the hotel volunteered their time to chaperon the students and assisted each tour during a three-month period this past Spring. 
• MORE THAN 500 ROOMS -- Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii Na Lima Hana ("The Helping Hands") is a philanthropic program developed and organized by more than 1,000 team members from all levels of the hotel. The hotel committed to sponsor at least one event per year. During 2002, Na Lima Hana members raised more than $100,000 for various community outreach organizations including Dolphin Days Charities, United Way(R), Waikoloa Marine Life Fund and the Shriners Childrens Hospital. Team members also participate in the annual hotel association Charity Walk and Beach Clean-Up Days as well as work with the Salvation Army to provide food for the needy. 

Company Backgrounder 
Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company. The company develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,000 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Company(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R).