Hilton booking major business - Tuesday 23, November-2004
by Bernard Babb

The official date for opening of the new Barbados Hilton is still to be given, but already the property has significant business on its books for 2005.

To date there have been more than 50 requests for group bookings from local and international meeting planners and agents, according to hotel executives.

Among the meetings confirmed is a major conference, which is expected to attract global participants, being hosted by the Institute of Travel and Tourism in June.

“There is great interest in Hilton and in Barbados for meetings. There seems to be pent-up demand for groups that have not been back to Barbados for a long time,” said general manager Marilyn Soper.

The first group scheduled to utilise the hotel’s ultra-modern conference facilities is expected to be an incentive one of 150 from the Greek company, Wella Hair Products.

“We have a strong brand in the American market and that is going to push us a lot,” said Roper, who also indicated there were hundreds of daily online queries from the business and leisure market.

Another Hilton executive recently told Travel Weekly, a leading travel industry publication, that the hotel planned to make Barbados a major player in the conference and incentives market.

Director of sales for the Caribbean, Stuart Freeman, said the new property would have a ballroom for groups of up to 600, plus a big covered courtyard for functions. There were also four break-out rooms for discussion groups as part of the main conference hall.

“There is huge demand from the conference and incentive market, especially for Barbados, which has good airlinks with the US and Europe,” said Freeman.

The new Hilton, built at a cost of $117 million, boasts 33 suites among its 350 rooms and all rooms have an ocean view.

It is expected to be a flag-ship property for the chain in the Caribbean and is featured by all major British tour-operators such as Kuoni, Hayes and Jarvis, Thomas Cook and Virgin Holidays.