Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Vilnius city center to open in 2018

The first hotel of the international chain “Hilton Garden Inn” in Vilnius will open its doors in 2018. In July of this year, the hotel chain signed an agreement with real estate developer “Eika”, which plans to build a 150-room hotel on Gedimino Avenue..  

 

The four-star Hilton Garden Inn hotel will begin construction in early 2017, and its opening is planned for late 2018. The agreement with the international hotel chain Hilton Worldwide has been signed on a franchise basis, and negotiations are currently underway with potential operators of the future hotel.

 

Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius welcomed the decision of the hotel chain Hilton Worldwide, as well as the investment of the company Eika in the new project. “The establishment of a high-class hotel and the opening of a new business in the heart of Vilnius is a significant event for the entire city and its residents. At the same time, it symbolizes the revival of the part of Gediminas Avenue between the newly renovated Lukiškės Square and the Seimas Palace. The international name chosen by Vilnius will increase the attractiveness of the capital and attract even more tourists, encourage the emergence of new flight routes, and attract more international events to the capital,” says R. Šimašius.

 

Domas Dargis, CEO of the new hotel developer, Eika Group, mentioned during the project presentation that the annually growing tourist flows in Vilnius and one of the highest hotel occupancy rates in Europe have identified that currently is a particularly favorable time to invest. “We have been considering developing a hotel project on Gedimino Avenue for almost three years. The study conducted by international consultants helped us decide on the appropriate size, format, network and brand. The decision to develop the hotel was determined by both the project location, the market situation and the recommendations of professionals,” says D. Dargis.

 

According to Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton Worldwide, the Baltic countries currently have the greatest potential due to extremely high hotel occupancy rates. This is why the decision was made to open a hotel in Vilnius.

 

“The Hilton Garden Inn hotel will open its doors on Gedimino Avenue, which is extremely convenient and attractive to business class clients. We believe that this format is the most suitable for the project location. This type of hotel has a 24-hour business zone where guests can work, and also provides high-speed Wi-Fi internet access throughout the hotel. Each room also has a work desk with ergonomic furniture. A fitness club is open 24 hours a day for active hotel guests,” the senior vice president of Hilton Worldwide listed the advantages.

 

The hotel will be part of a multifunctional complex of 18 thousand square meters, which will also include a business center, a shopping gallery, cafes, restaurants, a luxury apartment building and an open public space. A two-story underground parking lot will be installed under the plot, which will be open to both Vilnius residents and city guests. According to the general director of the company “Eika”, this will be one of the most interesting projects in the history of Vilnius, as a new center of attraction will appear on the Gedimino Avenue section between Lukiškės Square and the Seimas Palace.

 

An international architectural competition has been announced to create a vision for a unique complex. The task presented to the architects is to harmonize the different functional parts of the complex, harmoniously integrate the buildings on Gedimino Avenue, incorporate the early 20th century building on Dainavos Street, and functionally plan pedestrian and car zones.

 

Mike Collini, Vice President of the international hotel chain Hilton Worldwide, responsible for development in Turkey, Russia and Eastern Europe, arrived in Lithuania to present the project. At the press conference, the Hilton Worldwide representative also announced the company’s plans to open the first Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Latvia, in the Old Town of Riga.