ISSUE NO.13 CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF HILTON CONRAD HILTON THE VISIONARY BEHIND THE BRAND – P.12 Visit → businessventures.com.mt Surfacing the most beautiful spaces Marble | Quartz | Engineered Stone | Granite | Patterned Tiles | Quartzite | Ceramic | Engineered Wood Halmann Vella Ltd, The Factory, Mosta Road, Lija. LJA 9016. Malta T: (+356) 21 433 636 E: [email protected] www.halmannvella.com Surfacing the most beautiful spaces Marble | Quartz | Engineered Stone | Granite | Patterned Tiles | Quartzite | Ceramic | Engineered Wood Halmann Vella Ltd, The Factory, Mosta Road, Lija. LJA 9016. Malta T: (+356) 21 433 636 E: [email protected] www.halmannvella.com FOREWORD Hilton Calling Dear guests and friends of the Hilton Malta, Welcome to this very special edition of our magazine. The 31st of May 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first Hilton hotel in the world, in Cisco, Texas, in the United States of America. Since that milestone date in 1919, the brand has gone from strength to strength. Globally, there are currently just under 5700 hotels, in more than 100 countries, under a total of 17 brands, with new properties opening every day. Hilton has been EDITOR bringing memorable experiences to countless guests, clients and team members Diane Brincat for a century, returned value to the owners who supported it, and made a strongly positive impact on the various communities in which it operates. We at the Hilton MAGAZINE COORDINATOR Malta are proud to belong to this worldwide family, and to join in fulfilling its Rebecca Millo mission – in Conrad Hilton’s words, to ‘fill the world with the light and warmth of hospitality’ – for at least another 100 years. CONTRIBUTORS Debbie Shaw, Kelly Dent, And what better way to celebrate this anniversary than to offer new ways for our Joseph Camilleri guests and customers to enjoy the hospitality of the Hilton Malta? Our outlets are currently buzzing with activity, including our breakfast and tapas offerings DESIGN at the Vista Lobby Lounge, and our refreshed themed buffets at Oceana. Add Redorange to this our new à la carte menu at Oceana and our Taste of Thailand experience www.redorange.com.mt at Blue Elephant, and we have a culinary delight to suit everyone’s tastes. Our refurbishment projects are progressing at an exciting pace as our new state-of- ADVERTISING the-art sauna and steam room open their doors, and we make plans to revamp Hilton Calling is a lifestyle magazine over 100 rooms. Other projects are in the pipeline, and I look forward to sharing for locals and foreigners alike, and details of these in the very near future. is distributed in all Hilton Hotel Guest Rooms, Executive Lounges, Needless to say, Hilton would not be the world-renowned and successful brand Portomaso Apartments, Portomaso that it is without its people, the 10 million team members that it has engaged Business Tower, La Valette Club since it opened its first property. Their passion for hospitality, the drive to excel, Lounge at Malta International to give each and every guest a memorable experience, have ensured the strength Airport and over 300 corporate and long life of a brand that has recently been named the No. 1 Workplace on companies that Hilton Malta works the 2019 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List. And our teams are happy with. A perfect read for anyone who to give back to the communities in which they work and live. Hilton Malta team falls into the HNW & UHNW (Ultra members have regularly undertaken community projects; one of these, specially High Net Worth) individuals market. designed to mark this special year, was the planting of 100 trees at Ta’ Qali on 28th March. We are looking forward to watching this living anniversary memento For more information regarding grow over the years into a little corner of the Maltese islands which will give promotion and advertising kindly pleasure and shade to visitors for many years to come. contact Redorange on [email protected] or call on I will leave you to enjoy the pages of this anniversary issue of our publication. +356 2701 3000/1 Thank you for all your support over the years. We are committed to rewarding your loyalty with many more years of warm hospitality and exceptional experiences. PRINTERS Print It PUBLISHERS MATTHEW MULLAN Hilton Malta GENERAL MANAGER / HILTON MALTA All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent from the publisher is prohibited. Dates, information and prices are believed to be correct at time of printing but are subject to change. No responsibility will be accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither the editor nor the publisher accept responsibility for any material submitted; whether photographic or otherwise. While we endeavour to ensure that organisations and firms mentioned are reputable, this publication and the editor can give no guarantee that they will fulfil their obligations under all circumstances. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE 100 Years 20 28 7 of Hilton La Bagnaia, The Revisit Hilton’s early days with Connie, learn about the Hilton Siena Perfect Pair Effect and discover Hilton’s 100 firsts! We’ve found paradise in Tuscany – Angela Attard Fenech from Tumas and if you enter our competition Group reveals how Hilton Malta you can too came to be 46 Fuelling Motorsports Learn how Malta’s leading fuel company helped create the Mediterranean’s top motorsports championship race 38 48 54 Tamara Webb: Life of Luxury Capturing the Med A Day in the Life at Portomaso in Motion Malta’s top lifestyle influencer Take your holiday out to sea What happens when you combine gives us a glimpse into her life with luxury yachts at Portomaso a love for the sea and a passion for the arts? 56 62 68 X Factor Malta’s Most Events Happening Malta Serene Spots in Malta What happens when TV’s biggest With so much excitement in the air, Whether you’re into art, culture talent contest hits Maltese shores? we’ve picked out some spots to help or just looking for a good time, our you get away from it all calendar of events has you sorted ADVERT 31st of May 2019 marks the 100th tastes and dramatic shifts in technology. But one thing ADVERT anniversary of the opening of the that didn’t change was its core pioneering spirit and first Hilton hotel in the world in Cisco, vision for what hospitality could be. THETexas. This milestone brings with it a century’s worth of innovative hospitality and revolutionised thinking. The Hilton name is synonymous with firsts. To mention just a few, Hilton was the first to introduce room service, When Conrad Hilton first laid eyes on the two-story, install colour televisions and air-conditioning in rooms, 40-room Mobley Hotel in 1919, he said it looked “like a and was the first hotel company to appreciate what convenient place to sleep. Nothing more.” While Hilton technology can do for a business and get on the internet! may not have been dreaming of the international empire Till today, it is still a clear front-runner with regards to that Hilton is today, he did have a vision of what the firsts in the industry. Hilton has most recently opened Cisco property could one day become. the first-ever underwater villa at the Conrad Maldives. That vision enabled Hilton to push forward, finding That spirit of innovation has continued throughout new and innovative ways to better serve guests, as he the company’s nearly 100-year history, right on until anticipated their needs before they did themselves. today. Since that milestone in 1919, the brand currently operates just under 5,700 hotels, in more than 100 As the company grew over the coming decades, it countries, under a total of 17 brands, with new properties faced countless changes and challenges, ranging from opening every day. the Great Depression, to World War II, to shifting traveller HILTON CALLING 7 First hotel 6. First art deco hotel 1 PURCHASED BY CONRAD IN 1919 7. First hotel with retractable roof 8. Introduced Eggs Benedict 2. 1925: First hotel to carry the Hilton name Dallas, Hilton 3. 1927: First hotel with cold running water 4. 1930: Waldorf Astoria New York is the first hotel to introduce room service WALDORF ASTORIA 9 BARTENDERS CREATED the Martini 5 FIRST TO INTRODUCE STAR RATING SYSTEM 10. Waldorf Astoria recognized as world's tallest hotel 16. First international 11. First coast-to-coast hotel chain in the US HOTEL BRAND - 1949 12. First hotel company on the stock exchange 17. First film recorded on Hilton property 13. 1947: First hotelier to install televisions (Born Yesterday, 1950) in guest rooms 18. 1950: Waldorf Astoria New York recognised 14. 1948: First hotel company to introduce for popularising Red Velvet Cake a multi-hotel reservations system 19. Introduced the Brownie 15. First hotelier to appear on the cover of Time Magazine 1954: BARTENDERS AT A CARIBE 21. Purchased Statler Hotel 23. HILCRON, first central in largest real estate deal reservation office IN PUERTO RICO INVENTED 0 at that time the 24. Hilton Istanbul: first hotel Piña Colada 22. 1955: First hotel with air built after World War II 2 conditioning in public rooms 31. First hotel concept designed exclusively for women travellers 25. 1957: First hotel to launch direct-dial telephone service 32. First hotelier to appear 26. 1959: First airport hotel and pioneer of the airport hotel concept in a cartoon 27. In-house brand of Vodka, Darnoc 33. 1969: Opened first DoubleTree 28. 1960: Opened first Hilton in Australia 34. First to enter gaming industry 29.