Asia Pacific Business Hotel Guest Survey ranks Hilton Hotels 'Leading Choice Hotel Brand' for fifth consecutive year.

A survey of Australian business travellers names Hilton Hotels the "Number One Hotel Brand" in Australia and the "Leading Choice Hotel Brand" in Australia for the fifth consecutive year. Topping the list of 95 of the world's leading hotel brands in the annual BDRC Asia Pacific Business Hotel Guest Survey, Hilton once again shows it is the leading name in Australia's hospitality Industry.

The BDRC brand ranking index or brand performance is measured against overall scores for prompted and unprompted awareness, usage of a brand, preferred choice (intent to recommend) and loyalty ratio. Based on these combined scores, Hilton was named the "Number One Hotel Brand" in Australia for 2009, a title Hilton has held since 2005.

Hilton scored highest in the category of unaided brand awareness, with 56 percent of those surveyed naming Hilton as the most well known hotel brand for business travellers in Australia. Additionally, "prompted recognition of Hilton is almost universal at 95 percent". Hilton also received high scores among the surveyed business travelers, with one in four respondents in Australia having stayed at a Hilton hotel in the previous year. According to the survey, "75 percent, or three quarters of Hilton's business guests are [also] brand loyal".

"To receive this recognition once would be fantastic, however to be acknowledged in this way for five consecutive years is truly outstanding," Ashley Spencer, Vice President - Hilton Hotels Australasia, said. "This awareness is a testament to the team at Hilton in Australia and their dedication to our guests and commitment to the brand. Despite strong competition from competitors with larger portfolios in Australia, Hilton continues to achieve exceptional results in the areas of awareness, usage and loyalty."

"Australia is a strategic market for Hilton Hotels and this result reflects a great achievement. Hilton has always valued the views of one of our most critical customer bases, the frequent business traveller, and it is therefore extremely rewarding to be recognized in such a way," Martin Rinck, President Hilton Hotels – Asia Pacific, said. "The result also indicates that we are continuing to offer business travelers the key attributes they value in a hotel, including best in class service, efficiency, good value and innovation."

Survey Highlights:

• Brand Performance: Hilton is the "Number One Hotel Brand" in Australia and has held this position since 2005.
• Hilton increased its brand ranking by eight ranking points in 2009, achieving 51 points out of a possible maximum of 60.
• Unprompted Awareness: Hilton is the best known hotel brand for business travellers in Australia and enjoys a gap of 26 percentile points from its nearest competitor.
• Prompted Awareness: "Prompted recognition of the Hilton brand is almost universal at 95%".
• Business Usage: 1 in 4 of Australian business travellers have recently stayed with Hilton, making Hilton the most used business hotel brand in 2009.
• Leading Choice: Hilton is BDRC's "Leading Choice Hotel Brand" in Australia for the fifth consecutive year.
• Brand Loyal: Three quarters (or 75%) of Hilton's Australian business guests are brand loyal.