Hilton Worldwide

On July 11-12, the Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace Hotel hosted the Re-Build Syria Exhibition. Among the various keynote speakers was Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, a senior member of the Iranian-sponsored Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

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According to its Annual Report filed with the SEC for fiscal year 2018: "During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, as disclosed in Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.’s ("Hilton") Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, filed on July 25, 2018, Iranian government officials purchased a number of room nights at the Hilton Colombo, Sri Lanka, which is managed by an affiliate of Hilton. The hotel received approximately $6,600 for these stays and net profit to Hilton was approximately $400. Hilton believes that the hotel stays were exempt from the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"). The Hilton Colombo may engage in future similar transactions to the extent they remain permissible under IEEPA."

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"Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (a U.S. company), also noted the SEC’s broad interpretation of the term “affiliate,” stating that it may be deemed to be a controlled affiliate of the Blackstone Group. Because affiliates of the Blackstone Group may be deemed to be Hilton’s affiliates, Hilton Worldwide reported last year the Iran-related activity of Blackstone affiliate Travelport Worldwide Ltd. This is in addition to Hilton disclosing its own reportable activity under Section 219, which included the stay at a Hilton property by an Iranian governmental delegation." (2017)

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According to its Annual Report filed with the SEC for fiscal year 2015: "During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, an Iranian governmental delegation stayed at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja for one night. The stays were booked and paid for by the government of Nigeria. The hotel received revenues of approximately $5,320 from these dealings. Net profit to Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (“Hilton”) from these dealings was approximately $495. Hilton believes that the hotel stays were exempt from the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and under 31 C.F.R. Section 560.210(d). The Transcorp Hilton Abuja intends to continue engaging in future similar transactions to the extent they remain permissible under applicable laws and regulations."

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According to its Annual Report filed with the SEC for fiscal year 2013: "During the reporting period, the Iranian Ministry of Youth and Sports purchased a number of room nights at the Hilton Ankara, Turkey, which is leased by a foreign affiliate of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ("Hilton"). Revenue received by us for these hotel stays was approximately $4,360 and net profit was approximately $1,700. Hilton believes that the hotel stays were exempt from the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"). The Hilton Ankara intends to continue engaging in future similar transactions to the extent they remain permissible under IEEPA.

Also during the reporting period, certain individual employees at two Hilton-branded hotels in the United Arab Emirates received routine wage payments as direct deposits to their personal accounts at Bank Melli, an entity identified on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List ("SDN List") maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Both of these hotels are owned by a third party, staffed by employees of the third-party owner and operated pursuant to a management agreement between the owner and a Hilton affiliate. In each case, these payments originated from the third-party owner’s account to the personal accounts of the employees at their chosen bank. No revenues or net profits are associated with these transactions. Both hotels discontinued making direct deposits to accounts at Bank Melli.

During the reporting period, several individuals stayed at the DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pursuant to a rate agreement between the hotel and Mahan Air, an entity identified on the SDN List. This hotel is staffed by employees of the third-party owner and operated pursuant to a management agreement between the owner and a Hilton affiliate. Under the agreement, which was entered into in the name of the owner, the hotel reserved a number of rooms for Mahan Air crew members at the DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur several times each week. Revenue received by Hilton attributable to Mahan Air crew hotel stays during the reporting period was approximately $1,980. Hilton considers its net profit on management fees to be approximately the same as its revenue. The DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur terminated the agreement and does not intend to engage in any future transactions with Mahan Air."

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Hilton is a leading global hospitality with more than 3500 hotels in 81 countries and 130,000 employees. Hilton Worldwide encompasses 10 brands, including Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, and Hilton Grand Vacations ( Company Website). 

UANI has learned that the Hilton Manhattan East will host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's for his stay during the 2010 UN General Assembly. 

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"A security group is threatening to boycott the Hilton hotel chain for planning to host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during next month's UN General Assembly meeting, The Post has learned. United Against Nuclear Iran said the Hilton Manhattan East should not be accepting "blood money" from Ahmadinejad and the Iranian delegation.

 'The Hilton's short-term profit from hosting the Iranian delegation is far outweighed by the grave implications of supporting a terrorist state that is illegally developing nuclear weapons,' UANI President Mark Wallace said in letters to Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta and Manhattan East GM Louis Lach" (New York Post, "A'jad Hotel Boycott," 8/4/10) .