Hilton San Diego Invites Meeting Groups to Save the Sea Turtles

Resort Encourages Groups to Go Green With Its New Totall Turtle Meetings Package

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. June 23, 2011

San Diego, CA - June 22, 2011 - The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa on Mission Bay has introduced a “Save Our Sea Turtles” package in partnership with SeaWorld San Diego to make it easy for meeting planners and their groups to do something good for the environment when they hold their meetings at the resort.

Recognizing that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are playing an increasingly important role in meeting agendas, the resort has created a new package to help groups provide a another kind of CSR - Care, Support and Rehabilitation - for threatened or endangered sea turtles.

The “Save Our Sea Turtles” package, which is available for meetings booked by 8/31/2011 and consumed by 12/31/2011, includes:

• An amount equivalent to 5 percent of the group's total room charges donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund in the group's name. The funds will be used to protect and rehabilitate sea turtle populations that have been endangered by human-created causes.
• A turtle plush toy and a turtle pen presented to each attendee at check-in in recognition of the group's donation to the conservation fund.
• A group team building day at SeaWorld San Diego. Transportation will be provided by the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa.

The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa offers the ideal meeting destination to balance business with pleasure. The resort features more than 25,200 square feet of contiguous meeting space including a variety of outdoor banquet venues. The resort's newest venue, the 9,600 square foot Garden Pavilion, can accommodate groups up to 1,100.

To take advantage of the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa “Save Our Sea Turtles” package, meeting planners can call 1-619-275-8971 or email an RFP to [email protected].

About the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa
Not considered a typical “Hilton” property, the 357-room, award-winning Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa is nestled on 18 lushly landscaped acres and is one of only three destination resort spas on famed Mission Bay. The resort features its signature Acqua restaurant overlooking the bay and pool, the hip Olive Lounge, Aroma coffee bar and Fresco's, the popular poolside bar and grill. In addition, the property boasts 25,200 square feet of meeting and event space, a multitude of outdoor banquet venues, its own private dock with an array of water sports and recreational activities, a full service spa and fitness center, and five championship tennis courts. The property is located within minutes of San Diego's most popular parks and attractions. The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa is located at 1775 E. Mission Bay, San Diego, California, 92109. For further information or reservations, call (619) 276-4010 or visit www.sandiegohilton.com.

About the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund
A non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund supports wildlife research, habitat protection, animal rescue and conservation education in the U.S. and more than 60 countries. Since its inception, the Fund has awarded more than $7 million, including animal crisis grants that provide rapid response and much-needed funding to animals and habitats in peril due to either natural or human-caused events and catastrophes. In 2010, the Fund awarded grants to 95 wildlife projects, including rescue and rehabilitation efforts of endangered sea turtles. In San Diego, the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society and Scripps Institution of Oceanography were recipients of grants. 100 percent of the donations the Fund receives goes to support these efforts. For more information visit www.seaworldsandiego.com or www.swbg-conservationfund.org.

About the SeaWorld Turtle Reef Exhibit
A new attraction called Turtle Reef allows guests to get an up-close look at more than 60 threatened and endangered sea turtles at SeaWorld, as well as learn more about the threats sea turtles face in the wild. The focal point is a nearly 300,000-gallon aquarium with a massive underwater viewing window. Adult Hawksbill and green sea turtles — some more than 50 years old — are on display, as well as younger green sea turtles that hatched at SeaWorld in 2009. Turtle Reef also feature thousands of tropical fish; a game called Race for the Beach; a touch screen map, Turtlelink, where guests can learn about sea turtle tracking and SeaWorld's rescue efforts and conservation; and Riptide Rescue, a new ride that spins passengers in boats on a rescue mission of their own.

About SeaWorld's Commitment to Sea Turtle Care and Conservation
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a global leader in the care and conservation of endangered and threatened sea turtles through worldwide rescue efforts, conservation programs and park educational attractions that inspire millions of guests each year to care for these fragile animals. SeaWorlds' Rescue Teams across the country are on call 365 days a year and have rescued more than 1,500 injured or ill sea turtles over the past three decades. The team recently released the 1,000th rescued sea turtle back to nature, and the parks provide a permanent home to those animals whose injuries are too debilitating for them to survive in the wild. To further demonstrate the company's commitment to turtle conservation, SeaWorld San Diego is eliminating plastic bags at all the park's gift shops (sea turtles often confuse plastic bags for jellyfish and can die after ingesting these items). The marine-life park, which currently goes through more than one million bags each year, is asking park guests to take a paper bag option or purchase a reusable bag.