Recent visitors to the city may have noticed a new building going up on the corner of Kydonias and Zymvrakakidon Streets in Chania. This is a new hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Chania City, which is due to open in the summer. Centrally situated at the top of 1866 Square and a short step from the KTEL bus station, the hotel is the result of a collaboration between Hilton and Green Properties–Melakis S.A., and is the second hotel to open in Greece under the Hilton Garden Inn Brand, the other being the Hilton Garden Inn Athens on Syngrou Avenue in the capital.
A world-wide brand – one of many supported by the Hilton chain – Hilton Garden Inns aim to provide luxury at affordable prices. According to a company press release: “Hilton Garden Inn is renowned for providing exceptional hospitality services, with a primary focus on comfort and meeting the needs of modern travellers. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy comfortable beds, minimalist design, spacious work areas, and the latest technology, ensuring a stay that is both comfortable and enjoyable.”
The Chania hotel will have 48 rooms “combining modern aesthetics with functionality”, as well as a rooftop restaurant and pool. There will also be a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a quiet library and an atmospheric spa room. The hotel will also offer a fully functional business centre.
Founded by Conrad Hilton in 1919 as Hilton Hotels Corporation, the company now named Hilton Worldwide manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels, resorts, and timeshare properties. As of December 31, 2023, the company’s portfolio included 7,530 properties (including timeshare properties) with 1,182,937 rooms in 118 countries and territories. It employed 178,000 people and had a total revenue of $11.2 billion.
Hilton has 22 brands across different market segments, of which Hilton Garden Inn is one. As of December 2019, the brand had 862 properties with 126,086 rooms in 49 countries and territories. There are two other Hilton-owned hotels under different brands in the Chania area – the “Isla Brown Chania Resort, Curio Collection By Hilton” at Stavros, and the “Chania Flair Boutique Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton” in Nea Hora.