Hilton plans to open a hotel in midtown Manhattan under its
Conrad luxury brand and will announce specifics soon, Hilton CEO Christopher
Nassetta said during the company's second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
"We're very close to signing a deal that will be done
with the Conrad brand," Nassetta said. He declined to disclose further
details, only saying that he was hoping to have an agreement in place by
October.
Hilton opened the all-suite Conrad New York near Battery
Park in Lower Manhattan in 2012. The company also oversees the 1,980-room New
York Hilton-Midtown, the city's largest hotel, and the Waldorf Astoria New
York, which is closed for renovations.
Hilton's second-quarter earnings were on the high end of its
projections, and the company raised its full-year earnings forecast.
Hilton's second-quarter revenue per available room (RevPAR)
rose 1.8% from a year earlier, fueled by gains outside the U.S. In the U.S.,
RevPAR rose 0.5% to $119.89 and average daily rate increased 1.1% to $149.27,
but occupancy fell half a point to 80.3%.
Nassetta said leisure travel was stronger than business
travel. The softness in business travel was evidenced by marginal RevPAR
increases and dips in occupancy for its Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and
Hampton brands.
Waldorf Astoria and Curio were top performers, with RevPAR
increases of 7.6% and 7.5%, respectively.