New York Hilton Says It Has Nothing to Do with Hilton International

A spokesperson for the New York Hilton told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that there is a misunderstanding in Jewish organizations that the New York Hilton is part of Hilton International which recently published its Middle East edition of “Business Travelers Guide” which omitted the Jerusalem Hilton and the Tel Aviv Hilton from the guide. As a result, the National Council of Young Israel announced that its committee considering bids for its national banquet in March 1981 has rejected the bid submitted by the New York Hilton.

Lola Preiss, director of public relations for the New York Hilton, said there is no connection between that hotel and Hilton International. She said that the parent company of the New York Hilton is Hilton Hotels Corporation with headquarters in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Hilton International, which at one time did belong to Hilton Hotels, was sold to Trans World Airline in 1967 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of TWA and is a completely separate company.”

Ms. Preiss said Hilton International operates only outside the United States and that Hilton Hotel Corporation operates in this country as well as abroad. Its “Directory of Hilton Hotels and Inns Around the World 1980-81” lists both the Jerusalem Hilton as well as the Tel Aviv Hilton, along with hotels in other countries in the Mideast, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states.

The Hilton International guide listed all their hotels in the Mideast countries except Israel. Peter Mahler, Hilton International’s director of marketing for the Mideast, said the omissions of the Hilton hotels in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in its guide are “a must for doing business in the Arab countries. It wouldn’t get into the countries otherwise.” Ms. Preiss said the Directory of Hilton Hotels and Inns is distributed in all the Mideast countries without exception.