Hilton affiliates second hotel in Romania in Sibiu

Hilton hotel chain, present in Romania via the hotel controlled by George Copos in central Bucharest, will affiliate its second hotel in Romania in Sibiu, after the franchise agreement was due for signing yesterday night in London by Hilton representatives and the owner of Palace Dumbrava hotel, Sibiu-based businessman Nicolae Minea. Palace Dumbrava, which has entailed overall investments worth around 25 million euros from its owners, will, therefore, be the first hotel that Hilton affiliates in a provincial city in Eastern Europe, as well as the first five-star hotel in a Romanian provincial city to be affiliated to an international chain. “We picked Hilton from a shortlist, and favoured this brand over others because it was the most appropriate for the location. Romania has seen a major development over the last few years, and it has become very important to be affiliated to an internationally renowned hotel,” said Sibiu-based businessman Nicolae Minea, who controls the Palace Dumbrava hotel. Minea took over the hotel, located just outside Dumbrava wood in Sibiu, when it was privatised in 1995, with expansion works taking place over the last few years and amounting to a 25 million-euro investment, which includes the price of the old building and of the land. Currently, the hotel has a five-star rating and operates under the Palace Dumbrava name, and is in its soft opening period (working at limited capacity). “The hotel will start to operate under the Hilton brand as of the first half of next year,” Minea specified. The hotel has 115 rooms, 5 conference rooms, can accommodate 1,000 people and has 4 restaurants and a spa covering 1,500 square metres.