Hilton and Vičiūnai Group have announced the signing of a franchise agreement to bring the upscale DoubleTree by Hilton brand to Lithuania for the first time. Construction of DoubleTree by Hilton Vilnius City Center is to begin this year, in the heart of the Lithuanian capital.
Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, EMEA, Hilton Worldwide said: “Having announced our first Lithuanian property just last month, we are pleased to be reaffirming our commitment to the market through this agreement with Vičiūnai Group to develop our first full service hotel in the country. International upscale brands account for less than 6% of hotel rooms in Vilnius so introducing DoubleTree by Hilton to the city will help the city cater for the growing number of business and leisure travellers seeking higher quality accommodation.”
The 175 guest room hotel forms part of a wider project, in to which Vičiūnai Group has invested over €20 million, which will also create new public spaces, designed to attract residents and visitors to the city. Alongside the hotel, a modern outdoor terrace will be built to connect the property to the Vilnius Energy and Technology Museum, which will also benefit from a modern new 1000 sqm exposition hall.
“Vičiūnai Group is diversifying its portfolio with the construction of this development. The project’s calling card is high quality accommodation at the very heart of Vilnius. Standard DoubleTree by Hilton guest rooms will be even more spacious than most of the business-class rooms currently offered in other leading hotels in the capital”, – said Sarunas Matijošaitis, CEO of Vičiūnai Group.
Set to open its doors in 2019, the hotel will also host a conference center and spa, swimming pool, a restaurant, and a rooftop Sky Bar overlooking Gediminas Castle, the Cathedral and the Old Town. Once the hotel is operational it will create approximately 100 new full time jobs in Vilnius. The new hotel, will be designed by architect Algirdas Kaušpėdas, and built by Vičiūnai Group-owned real estate development company, “Sunrise Kaunas”
Having joined Hilton in announcing its first project in Vilnius at a press conference last month, the capital’s mayor Remigijus Šimašius Vilnius greeted the news. “I am very pleased that the negotiations with the Energy Museum on this project were successfully completed, and Vičiūnai Group has committed to invest in the new premises of the museum and a modern public space for residents, which we all are eagerly anticipating” – said R. Šimašius.
Dianna Vaughan, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, said: “This hotel will be a fantastic addition to our portfolio in Eastern Europe which already boasts properties in Moscow, Warsaw and will soon include Minsk. We look forward to providing travellers to Vilnius with the welcoming comforts and hospitality common to all DoubleTree by Hilton hotels, starting with a warm chocolate chip cookie at check-in.”
