Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise agreement with Venezia Capitol on the Hilton Garden Inn Venice/Mestre San Giuliano.

When it opens next summer the 136-room hotel will be the ninth Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Italy. Gosh, they're packing them in like sardines, you might exclaim; an apt exclamation, given that Sardinia is to be the location for the third Italian Doubletree by Hilton.

The 124-room Doubletree by Hilton, Olbia-Sardinia, which is to open in March 2010, is the result of a franchise licence agreement signed with Italian company Proma.

Exclamations at Liverpool John Lennon Airport might often be about the length of the queue at check-in or the length of delay to a flight. But here's an additional exclamation, and this one is printable: "Look! the Hampton by Hilton has officially opened."

Sight along the exclaimer's finger and you will see it points to a 160-room hotel at the terminal.

www.hvs.com