HILTON Group kicked off the rebranding exercise of its newly-acquired 48 Stakis hotels with the renaming of its Stakis London Metropole.
The hotel, now the Hilton London Metropole, is to play a key role in Hilton’s future conference business. The company has spent £100m on creating what it is calling Europe’s largest convention centre, alongside 373 extra bedrooms. The extension opens in October.
From now until spring, the remaining 47 Stakis hotels around the UK will undergo name changes .
The hotels’ general manager, George Westwell, explained the Metropole had to be the first to fall into the Hilton fold.
He said: “It was critical that the London Metropole became a Hilton as soon as possible. By October 2000 the hotel will be the largest convention hotel in Europe, able to eat, meet and sleep over 1,000 guests.”
Hilton Group, then Ladbroke Group plc, bought Stakis in March for £1.3bn and the enlarged group’s portfolio in UK and Ireland now totals 80 properties.
Next year Hilton will further enhance its presence in central London when it opens its GWR Hilton Paddington, having signed a management agree-ment with hotel owners Muirgold. It will also open aproperty adjacent to Trafalgar Square in autumn 2000.