Executive vice president and president of Hotel Operations, Owned & Managed for Hilton Hotels Corp. Dieter Huckestein told those gathered in the former residence of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor that "the Conrad division of Hilton, it's five-star brand, is moving into the US." He said the Waldorf-Astoria is known around the world and the Waldorf Towers would carry with it the prestige of the Waldorf name, paired with the internationally known Conrad brand. "It will be home of Conrad hotels around the world."
Huckestein said the company had thought about using "the Waldorf name as a brand name outside the hotel"," but decided against it, opting rather for the established Conrad line. He explained that the company is looking to bring more Conrad hotels to "major gateway areas, resort areas." He was also sure to note, "We're not looking to put a Conrad on every corner. The expansion of the brand "will not be fast moving like Hampton Inn or Hilton Garden that we started," he added.
When asked with what hotel brands the Conrad competes directly, Huckestein identified Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton hotels. The first Conrad hotel was Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Conrad Dublin, Conrad London, Conrad Hong Kong, Conrad Istanbul, Conrad Brussels, Conrad Treasury Casino Brisbane, Conrad Hurghada Resort, Conrad Centennial Singapore, Conrad Punta Del Este Resort and Casino, Conrad Sharm El Sheikh Resort and Conrad Cairo followed.
Waldorf-Astoria manager Eric Long noted that the branding would not mean reconfiguring the Towers. "We are not going to go in and subdivide the suites," he said. Huckestein and Long also noted that while some Conrad properties are mixed-use, condos are not planned for Waldorf Towers, although there are currently one-year lease deals on suites.
A marketing campaign is planned to introduce the new Conrad hotel to customers. Those with honor points and other favored customer plans will be notified that they can now use these at Waldorf Towers a Conrad Hotel. As to the distinction of being the only Conrad hotel within a hotel, Long commented, "Actually, the beauty of a separate 180-key hotel in a larger hotel is the access to the facilities and resources" and still being its own entity. "If anything it gives us a dimension the other [Conrad] hotels don't have," he said.
This is the only existing hotel that will become a Conrad, Huckestein said. There are currently plans underway to roll out the brand in the US, as well as Mexico, on the heels of the soon-to-open Conrad Bangkok and two others. When asked if the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC might be a candidate for transformation despite the denial of such plans, he said, "It wouldn't be worth it." He did acknowledge the company looked at its holdings for options such as the Drake in Chicago, but again the Waldorf is the only existing hotel to become a Conrad.
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