Hilton Worldwide has signed a Management Agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Granada Investment Centre established by General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) for the first Hilton branded property in Riyadh scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2013. Located on Riyadh’s Eastern Ring Road, linking King Khalid International Airport with the downtown area, the new-build Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will feature two towers; a 20-storey 480-room hotel tower, and a 14-storey tower with 350 hotel apartments.
Once completed, the hotel will be located between the 466,000sqm Granada Centre, a shopping and entertainment mall, and Granada Business Park. Also nearby is the new Riyadh International Conference Centre, and the King Abdullah Financial District, the future home of the Saudi Stock Exchange. Further leisure attractions within close proximity include the Al Hokair Land Theme Park.
In addition to its rooms and suites, there are varied restaurants on offer, with several food and beverage outlets, featuring all-day dining, specialty and destination restaurants, as well as two outdoor lounges.
Business meetings and conferences include separate male and female ballrooms, a junior ballroom, eight meeting rooms, two boardrooms and a business centre. Leisure and recreational facilities include a spa and health club, with separate male and female areas and a swimming pool.
Hilton Worldwide has a large brand footprint in Middle East & Africa with 44 hotels across 14 countries, and a further 19 under development. The company has an established and diverse brand portfolio in Saudi Arabia spanning Waldorf Astoria (Qasr Al Sharq), Hilton (Jeddah Hilton, Makkah Hilton & Towers, Madinah Hilton) and Hilton Garden Inn (Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Olaya) brands.
Hilton Worldwide global operations, president, Ian Carter said: “Our goal has always been to have a Hilton branded property in every capital city around the world, so we are delighted to have signed this management agreement with GOSI marking our Hilton entry into Riyadh. There is growing demand for hotel accommodation in the capital from the business and corporate travel segments making Riyadh the perfect choice for us.”
