Hilton Worldwide Celebrates Earth Hour and the Power of Living Sustainably with Projects around the World

MCLEAN, Va., March 25, 2014 /3BL Media/ – For the fourth consecutive year, Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) hotels around the world will support the forthcoming celebration of Earth Hour 2014 from 8:30p.m. to 9:30p.m. local time on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

This year, hundreds of Hilton Worldwide’s more than 4,000 hotels and timeshare properties will once again be switching off lights, as well as organizing a number of innovative projects for guests in demonstration of their commitment to live sustainably and take action by caring for the planet in the year ahead. Some of the planned events around the world include:

• Switching off main building exterior lighting and rooftop neon signage
• Dimming interior lobby and reception lighting
• Hosting candlelit dinners with low carbon menus and sustainable cocktails
• Showcasing acoustic music sessions including classical music and jazz in the dark
• In addition, DoubleTree by Hilton properties will be arranging a number of events for young people in support of their Teaching Kids to Care campaign, including recycled glass lantern making and candle decorating, alongside engaging educational sessions outlining how they can help to sustain the environment and be superheroes for the planet
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties will also be organizing a range of youth focused activities, including educational visits to local schools, face painting, sustainability quizzes and recycled artwork competitions

"As the travel and tourism industry continues to expand around the world, Hilton Worldwide increasingly seeks ways to reduce energy consumption while delivering great guest experiences," said Maxime Verstraete, Vice President, Sustainability, Hilton Worldwide. "Through the switching off of lights and a range of other activities to engage our guests, our participation in Earth Hour is a unique opportunity for the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands to bring our Living Sustainably commitment to life.”  

Created by WWF, Earth Hour began in 2007 as a way for individuals and businesses to show how simple steps can make a significant impact on addressing climate change. This worldwide effort began in Sydney, Australia when more than two million people turned off their lights for an hour and reduced the city's energy consumption by more than 10 percent. It became a global movement in 2008 with more than 50 million people participating, and today it is the largest grassroots environmental movement in the world with more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories and hundreds of millions of people participating across seven continents. In 2013 alone, 345 million people were reached through the campaign’s website and social media. This year’s theme focuses on mobilizing young people to become the next generation of leaders for a sustainable world, a theme that resonates with several Hilton Worldwide commitments to connect and prepare young people over the next five years. 

Hilton Worldwide has a long history of supporting Earth Hour, and the original idea was conceived during a WWF meeting held at Hilton Sydney. 

Participation in Earth Hour is part of Hilton Worldwide’s commitment to Living Sustainably, one of the four pillars of the company’s responsibility and sustainability strategy, Travel with Purpose™. In demonstration of its commitment in this area, Hilton Worldwide has elevated sustainability as a performance metric and a brand standard across all hotels, raising it to the same level of importance as quality, service and revenue. To support the company’s sustainability goals, LightStay™, Hilton Worldwide’s proprietary performance system, is used to measure, analyze and report on sustainability data across the global portfolio.

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About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 94 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company’s portfolio of ten world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,000 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 678,000 rooms in 91 countries and territories, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®.

About Travel with Purpose™
Travel with Purpose™ is Hilton Worldwide's commitment to provide shared value to its business and communities around the world. As the driving strategy for Hilton Worldwide's corporate responsibility efforts, Travel with Purpose focuses on creating opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential; strengthening local communities where Team Members live, work and travel; celebrating cultures and the power of travel; and living sustainably through the measurement, analysis and improvement of the use of natural resources. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com/corporate-responsibility and www.hiltonworldwide.com/sustainability for more information.