UK-basedhotel group Hilton International has revealed plans to open its first Eco-Lodge in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
The five-star, 196-bedroom Hilton Amazon Eco-Lodge is scheduled to open in late 2005, and will be the first of its kind to be operated by an international hotel chain.
Hilton said the inclusion of the new hotel in its portfolio was part of the company's plan to expand both its Hilton Worldwide Resorts properties and its presence in Brazil.
The single-storey, environmentally sensitive hotel in Novo Airao, in the heart of the rainforest, is being developed by Brazilian eco-resort specialist CMMC Empreendimentos e Participaçoes. Some 2% of the gross operating profit from the hotel will be donated to the Amazon Preservation Fund.
Hilton is in negotiations to develop a further Hilton Worldwide Resort and an all-inclusive Coral by Hilton Resort in Natal, on the north-east coast of Brazil.