First Lithuania DoubleTree opens
Hilton Worldwide and Vičiūnai Group have announced that DoubleTree by Hilton will open its first hotel in Lithuania, DoubleTree by Hilton Vilnius City Center, with construction beginning this year.
Set to open in 2019, the hotel will host a conference centre and spa, swimming pool, a restaurant, and a rooftop Sky Bar overlooking Gediminas Castle, the Cathedral and the Old Town. The new hotel will be designed by architect Algirdas Kaušpėdas, and built by Vičiūnai Group-owned real estate development company, Sunrise Kaunas.
Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President, Development, EMEA, Hilton Worldwide says: “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 will help the city cater to the growing number of business and leisure travellers seeking higher quality accommodation.”
The 175 guestroom hotel forms part of a wider project, into which Vičiūnai Group has invested over €20 million, which will create new public spaces, designed to attract residents and visitors to the city. Alongside the hotel, a modern outdoor terrace will also be built to connect the property to the Vilnius Energy and Technology Museum, which will benefit from a new 1000m2 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 guestrooms will be even more spacious than most of the business-class rooms currently offered in other leading hotels in the capital,” says Sarunas Matijošaitis, CEO of Vičiūnai Group.
Remigijus Šimašius, mayor of Vilnius, comments: “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.”
Dianna Vaughan, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, adds: “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.”
