MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - April 20, 2012 Hilton Minneapolis today announced that the hotel's General Manager, John Luke has been named the 2011 General Manager of the Year by Hilton Worldwide. This prestigious award recognizes general managers with best in class hotel profitability margins, team member engagement and satisfaction, and exceptional guest loyalty survey scores. This particular category was for hotels or resorts with 750 or more guest rooms in the Americas Division.

"I am honored to be recognized with such an esteemed award," said Luke. "This recognition speaks to the entire Hilton Minneapolis team; our positive guest focus and collaborative efforts, impact revenue results as well as team member and customer loyalty."

John Luke is a 30 year veteran of Hilton, starting his career as a management trainee in Chicago at Conrad Hilton. Since then, Luke has held many titles over the years, in locations such as New York, Beverly Hills and Pasadena. In 2003, he joined Hilton Minneapolis as general manager and has made tremendous strides with the hotel team members, community relations and hotel profitability.

Eleven-time winner of the prestigious Pinnacle Awards for excellence in hospitality and the AAA Four Diamond Award, Hilton Minneapolis is the premier hotel for the savvy corporate or leisure traveler. The hotel offers 821 deluxe guest rooms, 77,000 square feet of meeting space, an indoor pool and Precor fitness center and a 24-hour business center and is the home of the SkyWater Restaurant.

About Hilton Hotels & Resorts

One of the most recognized names in the industry, Hilton Hotels & Resorts stands as the stylish, forward thinking global leader in hospitality. From inaugural balls and Hollywood award galas to business events and days to remember, Hilton is where the world makes history, closes the deal, toasts special occasions and gets away from it all. The flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide continues to build upon its legacy of innovation by developing products and services to meet the needs of tomorrow's savvy global travelers while more than 144,000 Team Members shape experiences in which every guest feels cared for, valued and respected. Today, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio includes more than 550 hotels in 80 countries and the brand remains synonymous with "hotel." Access the latest Hilton news at www.hiltonglobalmediacenter.com or begin your journey at www.hilton.com. Social media users can engage with Hilton at www.twitter.com/hiltononline, www.facebook.com/hilton and www.youtube.com/hilton. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is one of Hilton Worldwides ten market-leading brands.

CONTACT

Kimberly Zoulek

Hilton Minneapolis

+1 612 397 4841

kimberly.zoulek@hilton.com

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