These alliances are part of a strategy that Hilton has outlinedto sign large deals with major investors to reach its goal of atleast 1,000 hotels outside of North America over the next 10 years,according to Matthew J. Hart, president and chief operating officerof Hilton. The Beverly Hills-based chain is already doing businesswith Caribbean Property Group, which recently signed managementagreements with Hilton for two existing full-service hotels inCosta Rica that are owned by a joint venture in which CPG holds an85% interest.

The CPG hotels in Costa Rica, which are undergoing majorrenovations, will be rebranded and reopened in the first quarter of2008 as the Hilton Papagayo and the Doubletree by HiltonPuntarenas, in Guanacaste and Puntarenas, respectively. Initially,other targeted markets in the deal that was announced today includemajor cities and destinations in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama,the Dominican Republic and Trinidad.

According to Gregory Rockett, the Miami-based vice president ofdevelopment for Latin America and the Caribbean for Hilton Hotels,the firm's focus will be on bringing its focused-service brands,such as Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites, to theregion. That's because, he says, those areas already have a decentnumber of full-service Hiltons.