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Hampton Save-A-Landmark� Program Seeking More
Sites to Help in Program That Has Already
Seen 19 Saved

.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 3, 2004 � America�s national parks are getting just two-thirds of the funding they need, leading to the deterioration of park facilities, estimates the National Parks Conservation Association. With preservation funds at an all-time low, America�s cultural and historical landmarks are threatened by decay and in danger of disappearing. This week, Hampton Hotels celebrates National Historic Preservation Week (May 3-8) by encouraging Americans to submit details on local treasures in need to its Save-A-Landmark program; submission can be submitted online by clicking the Save-A-Landmark icon at www.hamptonlandmarks.com or by mailing recommendations c/o Save-A-Landmark to 8730 Sunset Blvd, Fifth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
 
�The way things are looking, this will be one of the toughest years for preservation in more than a decade,� said historian and preservationist Jim Conkle. �Without the support of private donors, the stories that these sites tell may fade away forever. We can�t let that happen.� As such, a number of companies and community groups are taking more of a central role in stepping up to the challenge to pick-up where federal funds are falling short.

From helping the 80-foot Blue Whale in Catoosa, Okla. to the historical National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Mass., Hampton�s Save-A-Landmark program has spent the past five years preserving historical, fun and cultural landmarks across the U.S. During this time, the program has helped research landmarks in need, promoted landmark sites 

 Eat Rite Diner
.

This is the slogan for the famous St. Louis eatery the
Eat Rite Diner, which on June 27, 2003 became Hampton�s Save-A-Landmark campaign�s 16th landmark refurbishment
to date and its fifth refurbishment on America�s �Mother Road�
Route 66. More than 15 volunteers from five surrounding
St. Louis Hampton hotels braved the summer St. Louis heat
to give the diner a fresh new coat of paint and a new sign
designating it a "Route 66 Roadside Attraction." The volunteers
also learned a lesson in staying between the lines while
they painted the diners sign lettering

and their importance, facilitated hundreds of volunteer hours, donated hundreds of supplies and worked with matching grants � all at an investment of nearly $1 million.  Banding its hotels together in communities across the U.S., Hampton employee volunteers provide the labor while the national office provides the dollars to refurbish selected sites, sometimes up to five locations per year.  Thus far, the program has come to the assistance of 19 landmarks.

Last year, Hampton Hotels worked with Conkle and Route 66 associations across the country to raise awareness about the �Mother Road� and protect its endangered locales. The program also created a new visual "road map" along the route, marking 60 historic landmarks with new signage.  Hampton Hotel�s Route 66 efforts have resulted in a total of seven historic sites refurbished along Route 66 alone, thanks to funding and the volunteer labor of local Hampton Inn hotels near the sites. 

Local Hampton Inn hotel employees are a key to the Save-A-Landmark program�s success. Responsible for painting, cleaning, landscaping, as well as other preservation and beautification efforts, the ongoing refurbishments provide an outlet for Hampton volunteers to get involved with hired contractors to maintain important landmarks in their own backyards. 

�Hampton is dedicated to preserving landmarks that capture the spirit of America,� says Phil Cordell, senior vice-president of Hampton brand management. �Preservation is something that everyone should care about, even beyond National Historic Preservation Week. It deserves ongoing attention, and we are proud to take part in making that happen.�

Committed to historic tourism, Hampton has created a specialized Web site promoting Route 66 and lesser-known �hidden� landmarks to travelers. Available at www.hamptonlandmarks.com, this online resource offers hundreds of locations for travelers looking for places and tours that harbor some of the country�s unknown, unconventional and most unbelievable secrets and legends. 

Hampton, which includes Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, is a mid-priced leader in the lodging segment.  Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, which develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,000 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. 


 
Contact:
Melissa O�Brien
Hampton Brand Communications
(901) 374-6462
Also See: Hampton Studies Guest Touchpoints; Results in New Product Standards and Technology to be Rolled Out Immediately in the 1,250-hotel Hampton System / January 2004
Top Developers and Top Hotels for Hilton's Focused-Service Brands Named; Stonebridge Companies Receives the Multi-Brand Top Developer of the Year Award / February 2004


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