The Tamaulipas state community is a high-draw in the tourist market, where shoppers flock for bargains. It is considered one of the busiest US-Mexico border crossings. The Nuevo Laredo facility is situated at Ave Reforma 5102, Col. Patios de la Exanduana. Hilton also operates Garden Inns in Monterrey and Ciudad Juarez.

The Nuevo Laredo project got under way in Q4 2000. Chartwell de Nuevo Laredo, S.A. de C.V. is the hotel operator and franchisee of Hilton Inns, a subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corp.

"There is a great demand for mid-market hotels across Mexico," says Adrian Kurre, Hilton Garden Inn senior vice president of brand management. A Hilton source tells GlobeSt.com that Hilton is targeting cities such as Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Ciudad Juarez as well as US cities such as Osh Kosh, WI and a handful of Canadian cities that have a need for business-focused hotels. The cities, says the Hilton source, simply can't support the big-box, full-service Hilton brands, but still have a high demand from the business sector.