Speech by Paul Hutton, VP of Hilton Worldwide on the occasion of SMP project groundbreaking ceremony

Thursday, 03 September 2015

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. I would especially like to acknowledge and welcome the Honourable Peter O’Neill, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Governors, Land Owners, all the members of parliament present here today as well as the team from Star Mountain Plaza. Thank you all for joining Hilton Worldwide today and we are delighted to be partnering with Star Mountain Plaza to deliver this exciting new development.

Today we take the first step towards adding a world class hotel to Port Moresby and we are thrilled to have that opportunity.Hilton Port Moresby is due for completion in 2017 and will be the first Hilton Hotel to open in Papua New Guinea.

This is a remarkable location for us to continue the Hilton story. Hilton Hotels has a 96 year history and is the world’s best known hotel brand With our reputation and extensive global presence, it is not often we can claim to be entering a new country.

For our business travellers this new development will become the epicentre of commercial life in Port Moresby. The opportunity, provided by the APEC conference to be held here in 2018, will showcase the innovative services and facilities that this entire precinct has to offer, However it is the opportunities beyond the APEC conference that we believe are the most exciting,

This beautiful country has a deep, rich cultural heritage and is recognised as one the last global tourism frontiers, home to an incredible natural bounty of rainforests, volcanoes and islands. We see the enormous potential to work with the local authorities to build a long term sustainable tourism industry that showcases the natural beauty of these islands whilst providing employment and economic growth.

Above: Paul Hutton - Vice President Operations at Hilton Worldwide giving the speech at the Star Mountain Plaza project groundbreaking ceremony in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea..

Global travellers trust the Hilton brand and together with Star Mountain Plaza we will look forward to making all this beautiful country has to offer more accessible to global leisure travellers

The Hilton Port Moresby will be a full service hotel with 212 rooms, the complex will include 4 restaurants, and two bars, a business centre, health club, spa and outdoor pool and event spaces as large as 4000 square metres

Guests can look forward to all of the hallmarks of a Hilton Hotel, offering travellers a world of authentic experiences, with products and services that meet the needs of global travellers, we shape experiences in which every guest feels cared for, valued, and respected

So I would like to conclude by thanking Star Mountain Plaza for the opportunity to bring the Hilton brand to Papua New Guinea and look forward to welcoming you all back here to celebrate when Hilton Port Moresby opens its doors in the not too distant future.