I am staying at the Princess Hotel in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in March. I was told when I was there last month that it would be a Hilton by March this year. The only thing I could find was this press release dated 3/12/2004, so they are slightly behind the 18 month timeframe mentioned in the article.


from http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article9849.html

Hilton International today announced a franchise agreement with Princess Hotels & Resorts Corporation for the Hotel Princess Zona Rosa in San Salvador, El Salvador, the capital and largest city of the most densely populated republic in Central America. This hotel will be Hilton International's first franchise hotel in Central America.

The six-year-old, 204-room hotel, to be renamed the Hilton Princess San Salvador, boasts guestrooms with views of the cityscape or the breathtaking San Salvador volcano. The hotel is home to a Garden Court restaurant, a Churchill´s Bar, a piano bar, an extensive health club, 13,000 sq.-ft. of ballroom and meeting space, and a business center with private offices. Hilton Princess San Salvador is located approximately 35 minutes from the Comalapa International Airport.

Commenting on the deal, Olaf Rasch, president of Princess Hotels & Resorts Corporation said, "The family of the Princess Hotels & Resorts Corporation is very excited about this strategic alliance with Hilton International. The conversion of the Hotel Princess Zona Rosa to a Hilton solidifies our leading position in the region and provides us with a new range of opportunities to serve our guests even better."

Princess Hotels & Resorts Corporation will continue to manage the property with a long term Hilton franchise. Hilton International is currently in franchise negotiations for two other hotels in the Group: the Princess San Pedro Sula Hotel in Honduras and the Princess Managua Hotel in Nicaragua. Plans call for the two hotels to be converted into Hilton hotels within 18 months. The conversion of all three hotels is subject to the completion of improvement works to each property.

"These contracts advance Hilton International's goal of franchising the Hilton brand to experienced and capable owners in markets with high barriers to entry," says Howard Friedman, President of Hilton International for the Americas. "Hilton International looks forward to these being the first of many franchise projects in Central America."

The three agreements are of strategic importance to Hilton International as they move towards extending their brand presence throughout the Americas.