Hilton Hotels Plans to Expand Lower-Priced Garden Inn Line

Hilton Hotels Corp., owner of Doubletree and Hilton hotels, said it would add more than 50 Hilton Garden Inn hotels to its development pipeline next year, as it expands the less expensive brand.

Including the additional hotels, Beverly Hills-based Hilton will have about 250 Garden Inn hotels open or under contract next year, the company said Monday. Hilton Garden Inn hotels are generally located in suburban areas of major cities and charge lower rates than Hilton’s flagship brand.

The hotels cater to both leisure and business travelers. By the end of this month, 90 of the Garden hotels, with 12,765 rooms, will be open, with about 110 more hotels under development, the company said. The 50 Garden Inns being added to the development pipeline will have a total of 7,100 rooms.

Hilton owns or manages about 1,900 hotels, resorts and vacation properties worldwide. Hilton shares closed at $9.88, up 19 cents, on the New York Stock Exchange.