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Paris Hilton, socialite, actor,
singer and media queen bee
News:
Party with Paris Hilton as reported in Australian
media
Paris
Loves Sydney, Australia
Profile
Saturday
Night Fever slot
PartyCasino.com
website PartyCasino.com
profile
PartyCasino.com
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Virtually
Vegas
Virtually
Vegas Casino
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and Bars
Paris
Hilton in Sydney (Bondi
Beach) - December 2006 (Credit:
Fairfax)
News
Paris
Hilton Versus Mike Sexton on Party Poker, Tom
Jenkins - 15th May 2009
(Credit:
Poker News Daily)
PartyPoker,
the world’s second largest online poker
site or network that does not accept U.S. players,
may host a heads-up match between heiress Paris
Hilton and World Poker Tour (WPT) Host Mike Sexton.
The winner will take home a brand new Bentley.
In
2006, PartyPoker,
which is owned and operated by the publicly traded
firm Party Gaming, offered Hilton a chance to
recoup a Bentley that she allegedly lost in a
game of poker. The luxury car in question was
a Continental GT, but Hilton failed to take the
then-world’s largest online poker room up
on its offer. Hilton quickly became the centerpiece
of the poker world, albeit for a brief time period.
A statement released by PartyPoker this week recalled,
“We challenge her to take us up on the offer.
Three years is a long time in show business and
we’re sure she’d jump at it now -
it is a simple offer for the former ‘Simple
Life’ star. Following the original offer
in 2006, the likes of Clonie Gowen also made public
challenges to the heiress, but so far Paris has
resisted.”
Apparently,
it’s déjà vu all over again
for the hotel heiress. She reportedly had her
new Bentley vandalized; PartyPoker
stated that egg throwing was to blame. Now, the
online poker site has quickly jumped back into
the spotlight, with the longtime WPT Host challenging
the reality star to a heads-up game with a Bentley
on the line. We’d like to think that Hilton’s
reaction was, “That’s hot.”
PartyPoker’s Warren Lush told Poker News
Daily what format the heads-up match may take:
“The Paris Hilton challenge nearly happened
last time and with what happened to her recently,
we thought it was right to reiterate our offer.
If she decides to accept, the format will be a
heads-up tournament, but we are open to discussion
about a definitive structure.” The name
of the game would be No Limit Texas Hold’em
and no deadline has been given for Hilton to respond.
Hilton
played in the 2009 WPT Celebrity Invitational
at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. The tournament,
which played out in February, raised money for
The Vine Group. The beneficiary organization’s
ambassador at the event was none other than actor
Mekhi Phifer, who welcomed Hollywood’s elite
including Vince Vaughn, Jason Alexander, Ben Affleck,
Mena Suvari, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Ricki Lake,
Ray Romano, and Brad Garrett. The tournament was
ultimately won by poker pro Freddy Deeb and raised
$77,000 for The Vine Group.
Hilton
may be best remembered for her leading role on
“The Simple Life,” a reality series
that also starred Nicole Richie, daughter of music
legend Lionel Richie. The show aired on Fox and
E! before vanishing from television airwaves two
years ago. Season 1 of the show sent the duo to
rural Arkansas, far away from their regular celebrity
lifestyles. During Season 2, Hilton and Richie
hit the road across the United States and found
themselves as interns for Season 3. The fourth
season of “The Simple Life” featured
the subtitle “Til Death Do Us Part.”
The fifth and final season sent the pair to summer
camp.
Sexton,
the voice of the WPT alongside Vince Van Patten,
re-signed with PartyPoker as its ambassador at
the end of April. A World Series of Poker (WSOP)
bracelet winner, Sexton also took down the first
$10,000 buy-in poker tournament ever held at Foxwoods
(which occurred in 1992) and was the first American
to win the Euro Finals of Poker. Sexton will represent
the popular online poker site at live tournaments
around the world and serve as the host of PartyPoker’s
suite at the Rio for the 2009 WSOP, which starts
in two weeks. He’ll also be regularly contributing
to PartyPoker’s blog. Sexton is a monthly
Guest Columnist right here on Poker News Daily.
His most recent entry reviews the Season VII WPT
Championship.
Paris
Hilton and friend tour Sydney - December 2006
(Credit: Fairfax)
Paris
Hilton does Cannes
Articles
In
town: We love Paris in summer
Why
there's gold in them that cells - The Age - 6th
May 2007 (Media Man Australia quotes)
Paris
sizzles on Bondi and celebs take a break in the
sun
Paris
Hilton crowns Bondi beer princess - 1st January
2007
Dirty
weekend goes upmarket - The Sydney Morning Herald
- 2nd February 2008
News
Google
News search for Paris Hilton
Profile
Paris
Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an
American celebutante and businesswoman.
Her
best-known acting work is in the television series
The Simple Life with her friend Nicole Richie.
She has also appeared in several minor film roles,
most notably in the horror film House of Wax in
2005. In 2004 she published a tongue-in-cheek
autobiography. In 2006, she released her self-titled
debut album Paris. Among her many careers, she
lists singer, model, actress, author, and television
personality. As a result of several legal incidents,
Hilton served a widely publicized sentence in
a L.A.County Jail facility in 2007.
Early
life and background
Born
in New York City, New York, Hilton is the oldest
of four children of Richard and Kathy Hilton.
Paris has a younger sister, Nicky, and younger
brothers Barron Nicholas Hilton and Conrad Hughes
Hilton.
On
the maternal side of her family, Paris is a niece
of two child stars of the 1970s, Kim Richards
and Kyle Richards. Paris was related by marriage
to Nicole Richie's godmother, Nancy Davis, when
Nancy's brother, Greg, was married to Kim Richards.
Paris'
paternal grandparents are hotel chairman Barron
Hilton, and his wife, the former Marilyn Hawley;
Barron Hilton's parents were Hilton Hotels founder
Conrad Hilton and his first wife, Mary Barron.
Paris
moved between several exclusive homes in her youth,
including a suite in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons.
She attended Marywood-Palm Valley School in Rancho
Mirage, California her freshman year of high school;
Dwight School in New York for her sophomore and
junior years; then a few months at Canterbury
School in New Milford, Connecticut before dropping
out. Hilton eventually earned a GED.
In
December 2007, Hilton's grandfather, hotel magnate
Barron Hilton, pledged 97% of his estate to a
charitable organisation founded by his father,
the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. An immediate
pledge of $1.2 billion was made, and a further
$1.1 billion after his death. Mr. Hilton cited
the actions of his father as the motivation for
his pledge. According to reports, the potential
inheritance of his grandchildren is sharply diminished.
Career
Hilton
has worked as a model, actress, musician, and
businesswoman. According to Forbes Magazine, she
earned approximately $2 million in 2003–2004,$6.5
million in 2004–2005, and $7 million in
2005–2006.
As
a model
Hilton
began modeling as a child, appearing first at
charity events. At 19, she signed with Donald
Trump's modeling agency, T Management. Hilton
has also worked with Ford Models in New York,
Models 1 Agency in London, Nous Model Management
in Los Angeles, and Premier Model Management in
London. She has appeared in numerous advertising
campaigns, including Iceberg Vodka, GUESS, Tommy
Hilfiger, Christian Dior, and Marciano. In 2001,
Hilton began to develop a reputation as a socialite,
being identified as "New York's leading It
Girl" whose fame was beginning to "extend
beyond the New York tabloids". She has since
appeared in several magazines, including the April
2004 issue of Maxim magazine. In a recent interview
in Elle magazine, Paris exclaimed her happiness
at being flat-chested and her puzzlement about
women who want bigger breasts .
As
an actress
Hilton's
fame grew when she co-starred with Nicole Richie,
the adopted daughter of Lionel Richie, in the
Fox reality series The Simple Life, which premiered
on December 2, 2003. After the success of the
first season, The Simple Life was followed by
two more seasons on Fox. The network canceled
the show after a dispute between Hilton and Richie,
but the show was subsequently aired by E! Entertainment
Television for the fourth and fifth seasons, with
talks of a sixth season to follow suit. Hilton
has also guest-starred in episodes of The O.C.,
The George Lopez Show, Las Vegas, American Dreams
and Veronica Mars. Furthermore, she appeared in
several music videos, including It Girl by John
Oates and Just Lose It by Eminem. Hilton has made
cameo appearances in several films, notably Zoolander
(2001), Wonderland (2003), and The Cat In The
Hat (2003). She landed minor and supporting roles
in the feature films Nine Lives (2002), Raising
Helen (2004), The Hillz (2004), and House of Wax
(2005). Her role as Paige Edwards in House of
Wax won the Teen Choice Award for "Best Scream"
and earned her a nomination for "Choice Breakout
Performance – Female". She also earned
a nomination for "Best Frightened Performance"
at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards. She landed her first
lead roles in 2006 with the straight-to-DVD releases
National Lampoon's Pledge This! and Bottom's Up.
Hilton is scheduled to appear as the lead in several
upcoming theatrical releases, including an as
yet untitled superhero movie involving Stan Lee
and a romantic comedy called The Hottie and the
Nottie. Planning is underway for an eponymous
cartoon series following the animated life of
Paris, her sister Nicky, and her dog Tinkerbell.
As of August 2007, Hilton is part of the cast
of Repo! the Genetic Opera, scheduled to begin
filming in September 2007.
As
a recording artist
Further information: Heiress Records and Paris
(Paris Hilton album)
Audio
samples from Paris:
*
"Stars Are Blind" (2006)
Play sound
"Stars Are Blind" sample.
"Nothing in This World" (2006)
Play sound
"Nothing in This World" sample.
Hilton
founded Heiress Records, a sub-label of Warner
Bros. Records, in 2004 and released her self-titled
debut album, Paris, under that label on August
22, 2006. Although the album reached number six
on the Billboard 200 for a week, its total sales
volume has been low. All Music Guide commented
that the album was "more fun than anything
released by Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson,
and a lot fresher, too." On the whole, critical
reception was mixed. On July 16, 2007 Hilton confirmed
that she is working on a new album to be released
in late 2007. However, with the ending of 2007,
no further details have been given.
As
an author
Further information: Confessions of an Heiress:
A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose and Your
Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me
In
the autumn of 2004, Hilton released an autobiographical
book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic
Peek Behind the Pose, co-written by Merle Ginsberg,
which includes full color photographs of her and
her advice on life as an heiress. Hilton reportedly
received a $100,000 advance payment for this book.
Some in the media panned the writing as amateurish,
and the book was parodied by Robert Mundell on
The Late Show with David Letterman. The book became
a New York Times bestseller. Hilton followed it
up with a designer diary, also with Ginsberg,
called Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me.
Activism
Animal
rights
In
2007, after watching a graphic video about animals
raised for their fur, Hilton announced her support
of vegetarianism and her anti-fur beliefs. Hilton
said:
“ From that point [after witnessing the
video shown by Heather Mills], I've never worn
fur and I never will. I also haven't eaten any
meat since. I just survive on pasta and stuff
like that. I was grossed out. It was disgusting.
”
Products
and endorsements
Hilton
helped design a collection of purses for Japanese
label Samantha Thavasa,and also a jewelry line
for Amazon.com.In 2004, Hilton was involved in
the creation of a perfume line by Parlux Fragrances.
Originally set to be a small release, high demand
led to a wider release before December 2004. The
launch was followed by a 47% increase in sales
of Parlux products, predominantly due to sales
of the Hilton-branded perfume. After the success
of Hilton's perfume, Parlux Fragrances released
several more perfumes with her name, including
fragrances for men. Paris Hilton launched a new
fragrance in October 2007, called "Can Can"
by Paris Hilton. This is her fourth women's fragrance
after "Paris Hilton," "Just Me,"
and "Heiress." In January 2007, Hilton
released the DreamCatchers line of hair extensions
in partnership with Hair Tech International. In
early August 2007, Hilton signed a licensing agreement
with Antebi for a signature footwear line, "Paris
Hilton Footware", featuring stilettos, platforms,
flats, wedges, and a sports collection, expected
to reach stores in 2008. In mid August 2007, Hilton
launched a line of tops, dresses, coats, and jeans
at Kitson boutique in Los Angeles.
In
2005, Hilton lent her name to a chain of nightclubs
owned by Fred Khalilian and known as Club Paris.
This association ended in January 2007 after she
had failed to attend several scheduled promotional
appearances.
Personal
life
Hilton
was engaged to fashion model Jason Shaw from mid-2002
to early 2003, and Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis,
from May 29, 2005 to November 2005. Thereafter,
she began dating another Greek shipping heir,
Stavros Niarchos III, before breaking up in May
2006. In an attempt to rediscover herself, Hilton
imposed a ban on sexual activity for one year
starting in July 2006, although was found kissing
her friend Brandon Davis five days later. Hilton
told Regis and Kelly: "One-night stands are
not for me. I think it's gross when you just give
it up. Guys want you more, if you don't just hand
it to them on a platter." Paris is currently
in a relationship with Swedish model Alexander
von Zweigbergk Väggö.
In
January 2007, Hilton's private life created headlines
with the launch of ParisExposed.com, a website
that featured images of personal and medical documents,
video, and other private material, allegedly obtained
when the contents of a storage locker rented by
Hilton were auctioned off due to lack of payment.
CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 discussed footage obtained
from the website which features Hilton using several
ethnic slurs. On February 3, 2007 Hilton obtained
a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com,
closing down the website for a short period of
time before the site went back online.
Hilton
is known for her love of small dogs, including
a Yorkshire Terrier and a female Chihuahua named
Tinkerbell. Hilton is frequently seen carrying
Tinkerbell (dubbed an "accessory dog")
at social events and functions, and in all five
seasons of television reality show The Simple
Life. In 2004, Tinkerbell "authored"
a memoir, The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries. On August
12, 2004, Tinkerbell went missing after Hilton's
apartment was robbed, and a $5,000 reward was
offered for her safe return. She was found six
days later. By December 1, 2004, Tinkerbell was
again spotted with Paris Hilton at various events.
Hilton has also purchased a male Chihuahua on
25 July 2007 from Pets of Bel Air in Los Angeles.
The
leak of a three-year-old home-made sex video,
called 1 Night in Paris, of Hilton with her then-boyfriend
Rick Salomon a week prior to the premiere of her
Fox reality series The Simple Life attracted worldwide
attention in late 2003.
Driving
violations
In
September 2006, Hilton was arrested and charged
with driving under the influence of alcohol with
a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, the level at
which it is illegal to drive in California. Hilton's
driving license was subsequently suspended in
November 2006, and in January 2007 she pled no
contest to the alcohol-related reckless driving
charge.[39] Her punishment was 36 months' probation
and fines of about $1,500. On January 15, 2007,
Hilton was pulled over for driving with a suspended
license and signed a document acknowledging that
she was not permitted to drive.On February 27,
2007 Hilton was caught driving 70 mph in a 35
mph zone, again with a suspended license. She
also did not have her headlights on even though
it was after dark. Prosecutors in the office of
the Los Angeles City Attorney charged that those
actions, along with the failure to enroll in a
court-ordered alcohol education program constituted
a violation of the terms of her probation.
On
May 4, 2007 Hilton was sentenced by Judge Michael
T. Sauer to 45 days in jail for violating her
probation. Initially, Hilton planned to appeal
the sentence, and supported an online petition
asking California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
for a pardon. The petition to Governor Schwarzenegger
was created and organized on May 5, 2007 by Joshua
Morales, a loyal fan of Ms. Hilton's who was upset
by the sentence Paris received. In response, various
opponents started a counter-petition to maintain
the sentence. Both petitions attracted tens of
thousands of signatures. Hilton later switched
lawyers and dropped her plans to appeal.
Hilton
was required to begin her jail term on June 5,
2007, and checked herself into the Century Regional
Detention Facility, an all female jail in Lynwood,
California after attending the 2007 MTV Movie
Awards on June 3, 2007. With credit for good behavior,
it was anticipated that Hilton would only serve
23 days of her 45-day sentence; however, in an
unexpected turn of events, Los Angeles County
Sheriff Lee Baca signed orders on the morning
of June 7, reassigning Hilton to 40 days of home
confinement with an electronic monitoring device
due to an unspecified medical condition. Sheriff
Baca commented on the release saying, "My
message to those who don't like celebrities is
that punishing celebrities more than the average
American is not justice," contesting that
under normal circumstances, Hilton would not have
served any time in jail, and he added that "The
special treatment, in a sense, appears to be because
of her celebrity status ... She got more time
in jail". On the same day that Hilton was
released from jail, Judge Michael Sauer summoned
her to reappear in court the following morning
(June 8) as the sentencing statement had explicitly
said she would serve time in jail with "No
work furlough. No work release. No electronic
monitoring." At the hearing he declined to
be briefed by Hilton's attorney in private chambers
on the nature of her condition and sent her back
to jail to serve out her original 45-day sentence.
Upon hearing the sentence, Hilton shouted, "It's
not right!" and started screaming, requesting
to hug her mother who was present in the courtroom.
Concern about Hilton's condition led to her being
moved to the medical wing of the Twin Towers Correctional
Facility in Los Angeles, and she was moved back
to the Century Regional Detention Facility in
Lynwood on June 13.
While
in jail, Hilton was influenced by prison minister
Marty Angelo: Hilton referred to starting a "new
beginning" during her interview with talk
show host Larry King on June 28, 2007, two days
after being released from jail, and quoted from
Angelo's autobiography, entitled Once Life Matters:
A New Beginning. On June 9, 2007 Marty Angelo
petitioned sentencing Judge Michael Sauer asking
to serve out the remainder of Hilton's jail sentence
if the judge would release her to an alternative
treatment program, but the petition was turned
down.
Hilton
was released from jail on June 26, 2007. In total,
Hilton served 22 days in detention, counting her
day-long home confinement. Hilton announced she
would be visiting Rwanda in November 2007 as a
post-jail vow and to spread awareness about that
African country.
In
popular culture
Hilton
has been quoted as saying that she is the "iconic
blonde of the decade"' and compared herself
to Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe (a claim
she denied in the May 2007 issue of Harper's Bazaar).She
will reportedly appear in the 2007 Guinness World
Records as the world's "Most Overrated Celebrity".
In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and
AOL, Hilton was voted the second "Worst Celebrity
Role Model of 2006", behind Britney Spears.
Critics allege that Hilton epitomizes the title
of famous for being famous; echoing that sentiment,
the Associated Press conducted what they called
an experiment in late February 2007, trying not
to report on Hilton for a whole week.
Effects
in the arts
On
May 11, 2007, a statue by Daniel Edwards entitled
Paris Hilton Autopsy was revealed at Capla Kesting
Fine Art in New York. Hilton is depicted by a
clay model as dead, naked, and with her legs spread.
The artist considers the sculpture a means of
educating high school seniors about drunk driving.
Popular
parodies
Notable
parodies of Paris Hilton include:
Tongue-in-cheek look at Paris's legal troubles
as presented in spoof video "Paris in Jail:
The Music Video"
Tongue-in-cheek look at Paris's legal troubles
as presented in spoof video "Paris in Jail:
The Music Video"
* Paris in Jail: The Music Video was released
to the video-sharing website YouTube by California
video company Omovies shortly after Paris was
jailed in June 2007. Featuring a Paris Hilton
lookalike and using the Paris song "Stars
are blind" for inspiration, the music video
achieved instant notoriety, garnering over three
million hits in five days by poking fun at Paris'
lifestyle, legal troubles, and subsequent incarceration.
Filmography
* Wishman (1991)
* Sweetie Pie (2000)
* Zoolander (2001; cameo)
* Nine Lives (2002)
* QIK2JDG (2002)
* 1 Night in Paris (2003)
* L.A. Knights (2003)
* Wonderland (2003)
* The Cat in the Hat (2003)
* Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
* The Hillz (2004)
* Raising Helen (2004)
* House of Wax (2005)
* Bottoms Up (2006)
* Pledge This! (2006)
* The Hottie and the Nottie (2008)
* Repo! the Genetic Opera (2008)
Discography
Paris Hilton discography
Albums
* Paris (released August 22, 2006)
Singles
From
Paris:
* "Stars Are Blind"
* "Turn It Up"
* "Nothing in This World"
* "Screwed"
Bibliography
* Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic
Peek Behind the Pose, 2004, ISBN 0743266641
* Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me, 2005,
ISBN 0743287142 (Credit:
Wikipedia).
Campaigns
Bondi
Blonde
Media
and Entertainment Babes
Websites
Hilton
Hotels
Hilton
Hotels
Hilton
is the flagship brand of Hilton Hotels Corporation
and is based in Beverly Hills, California. It is one
of the world's largest chains of hotels.
The
Hilton brand was re-united internationally after more
than 40 years in February 2006, when United States-based
Hilton Hotels Corporation purchased the lodging arm
of United Kingdom-based Hilton Group PLC, which had
acquired Hilton's international operations in 1987
(the companies had been severed originally in 1966).
Hilton
Hotels became the America's first coast-to-coast hotel
chain. The company places marketing emphasis on business
travel, but owns and operates a number of resorts
and leisure-oriented hotels as well.
The
chain has over 500 Hilton branded hotels across the
world and has partnerships with many airline and car
rental companies.
History
Founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton. Hilton bought his
first hotel, the Mobley Hotel in 1919 in Cisco, Texas.
In
1930, Conrad Hilton opened his first high-rise Hilton
hotel in El Paso, Texas, the now Plaza Hotel.
Hilton
became the first international hotel chain with the
opening of the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto
Rico.
John
Lennon and Yoko Ono held their first Bed-In for Peace
between March 25 and March 31, 1969 at the Amsterdam
Hilton in Room 902. This room has become a popular
tourist destination.
Hilton
Hotels owns and manages several other hotel brands,
catering to both business and leisure travel. These
brands are Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hampton Inn,
Hilton Garden Inn, and Homewood Suites by Hilton.
HHC
was granted the naming rights to the George R. Brown
Convention Center in late 2003. The Hilton Americas
in Downtown Houston, Texas, is connected to the convention
center.
Film history
In the 1989 six-part Australian mini-series Bangkok
Hilton, the title is the nickname of the Bangkok prison
in which the protagonist is incarcerated on drug offenses.
There are actually three hotels in Bangkok, Thailand
currently affiliated with the Hilton Hotels Corporation
: Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Conrad Bangkok and Conrad
Residences. Hilton International Bangkok, opened in
1983, now belongs to Raffles International and is
known as Nai Lert Park Bangkok. Though the Bangkok
Hilton nickname was a fictional invention of the miniseries,
since that time the nickname is frequently cited by
the Australian media to refer to whichever Thai prison
they happen to be discussing. (Credit:
Wikipedia)
Hilton
Hotel, Sydney
News
On the 12th February 2007, Sydney sex symbol and media
darling, author and journalist, Samantha
Brett launched book at the Hilton's Zeta
Bar to a crowd of approximately 500. This further
cemented Hilton Hotel, Sydney, as the place to be
seen.
12th
March 2007 - Spice up your love life with the Sydney
Hilton’s Provocateur package. The Provocater
package has been launched and is endorsed by Gretel
Pinniger (Madame Lash).
29th
March 2007 - Largest Hotel in Oregon Goes Green (Hilton
Portland & Executive Tower)
Paris
misses out on Hilton fortune - 27th December 2007
(Credit:
The Sydney Morning Herald)
US
hotel heiress Paris Hilton's potential inheritance
dramatically diminished after her grandfather
Barron Hilton announced plans on Wednesday to
donate 97 per cent of his $US2.3 billion ($2.6
billion) fortune to charity.
That
wealth includes $US1.2 billion Barron Hilton stands
to earn from both the recent sale of Hilton Hotels
Corp. - started by his father Conrad in 1919 when
he bought a small hotel in Cisco, Texas - and
pending sale of the world's biggest casino company,
Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
That
money will be placed in a charitable trust that
will eventually benefit the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,
raising its total value to about $US4.5 billion,
the foundation said in a statement.
Barron
Hilton, chairman of the foundation, intends "to
contribute 97 per cent of his entire net worth,
estimated today at $US2.3 billion, including the
created trusts, at whatever value it is at the
time of his passing," the foundation said.
Paris
Hilton was not immediately available for comment
on her grandfather's plans for his fortune.
Jerry
Oppenheimer, who profiled the Hilton family in
his 2006 book House of Hilton, has said Barron
Hilton is embarrassed by the behavior of his socialite
granddaughter Paris and believes it has sullied
the family name.
Barron
Hilton, who is 80, has not commented on Oppenheimer's
remarks.
The
foundation supports projects that provide clean
water in Africa, education for blind children,
and housing for the mentally ill. Its aims, based
on Conrad Hilton's will, are "to relieve
the suffering, the distressed and the destitute."
"Speaking
for the family as well as the foundation, we are
all exceedingly proud and grateful for this extraordinary
commitment," said Steven Hilton, one of Barron's
sons and president and chief executive of the
foundation.
Conrad
Hilton established the foundation in 1944 and
when he died in 1979 left virtually all of his
fortune - including, according to media reports
at the time, a 27 per cent controlling stake in
Hilton Hotels - to the charity.
But
Barron Hilton challenged the will and after a
nearly decade-long legal struggle reached an out-of-court
settlement to split ownership of the shares with
the foundation in 1988, The New York Times reported.
The
hotel group was sold for $20 billion in October
to private equity firm Blackstone Group, while
the acquisition of Harrah's - of which Barron
Hilton was a board member until 2006 - is due
to be completed by Apollo Management and TPG Capital
in early 2008.
Paris,
a symbol of celebrity privilege in America, gained
notoriety in 2003 when a home video of her having
sex with a boyfriend was posted on the internet.
She
parlayed her notoriety, fueled by tabloid headlines
about her partying lifestyle, into a celebrity
career that has included a reality television
show, a book, a music album, and film roles. Then
this year she spent more than three weeks in jail
for violating probation in a drunk-driving case.
Reuters
Dirty
weekend goes upmarket, by Julia Carlisle - 2nd
Feb 2008
(Credit:
The Sydney Morning Herald)
The
cook, the stripper, the wife and her French lover.
No,
it's not the title of a new art-house movie, it's
just a regular night at Sydney's Hilton Hotel.
If
you're wanting more than just the standard romance
package, the Hilton says it has the solution.
With
the help of Sydney's infamous Madame Lash (the
stripper), one of Australia's top chefs, Luke
Mangan (the cook), combined with the Hilton's
five-star accommodation and service, the Provocateur
package creates an evening of romance, pleasure
and fun for couples wanting to get into the loving
mood.
When
I (the wife) first mentioned to my French husband
(the lover) we were heading to a hotel for a romance
package, he shrugged his shoulders rather nonchalantly.
Being
a typical Frenchman, he believes romance isn't
organised by a hotel, but is something that should
happen naturally. Ah, ze French!
As
for me, the idea of a five-star hotel room with
a big bed and crisp white linen puts me in the
sexy mood immediately.
We
check in during the afternoon and head up to our
suite on the 39th floor with its incredible views
over Sydney.
Just
seeing the enormous bathroom and bath for two
makes me squeal with delight.
Mission
one is to fill the bath, add copious amounts of
bath salts and bubble bath, slide in, watch the
city through the ceiling to floor windows, turn
on the flat screen TV above just for the thrill
and enjoy the moment - for as long as possible.
All
we know about the Provocateur Package, which I've
nominated to commence at 10pm, is that it will
"arouse our senses" to provoke an evening
of passion.
There
will be an aphrodisiac-inspired degustation platter
from Mangan and some wonderfully naughty tips
from Madame Lash.
In
previous correspondence, I've chosen some groovy,
seductive music, and selected an aromatic essence
for the evening.
Freshly
scrubbed and dressed up, but not wanting to stray
too far from our room, we head down to Mangan's
restaurant, Glass, for dinner.
Sitting
across from the Queen Victoria Building lit up
at night, enjoying amazing wine chosen from the
Sommeilier, we are already feeling happy and romantic.
Mangan's
food takes us to another level. The French-Asian-Australian
menu is exciting and interesting.
My
husband opts for a 100 per cent French choice
with steak tartare followed by a rare piece of
fillet with a herb crust - he is left speechless.
Meanwhile,
my mixed sashimi platter is light, fresh and tasty.
The lightly battered zucchini flowers filled with
ricotta with a tapenade are amazing.
Our
night could end here and we would be content.
A quick time-check and we're right on schedule.
It's 9.50pm so we decide to slowly meander back
to our room.
The
moment of truth has arrived.
Slowly,
we open the door. It's dark, but as soon we enter
our eyes adjust to the amazing scene of hundreds
of flickering tea candles with red rose petals
scattered on the floor throughout the suite.
Our
ears tune into the Barry White music playing in
the background and then we notice the lovely aroma
of Ylang Ylang wafting through the rooms.
The
coffee table has been beautifully arranged with
an enticing platter and a bottle of champagne
sitting in an ice-bucket waiting to be popped.
Mangan's
aphrodisiac platter includes a delectable feast
of fig and crab canapes, and freshly-shucked oysters.
And for the sweet, sticky fix there's chocolate-dipped
strawberries, chocolate truffles and creme brulee.
But
it's the huge bed that really says it all. A rose-petal
heart lies in the centre, with a feather tickling
stick placed in the centre, along with a pink
envelope.
Being
true to the Hilton and to other perspective passionate
couples out there, I don't want to ruin all the
surprises. What I will say is this: Madame Lash
is a woman who knows all the right steps in leading
a couple to a sexy and intimate evening.
In
her own words: "To truly experience pleasure,
love-making must become an art."
There's
a total of five envelopes containing "Seduction
Tips" hidden around the room. But there are
rules: we mustn't cheat, we have to take our time
to appreciate the naughty tips and we must have
fun.
Like
good students, we obey!
It's
a lot of fun with nothing kinky or uncomfortable.
There's a blindfold and you can use the tickler
if you want, but couples should just relax and
enjoy the whole experience.
Chatting
with Jerome Auvity, the manager of the Hilton
Sydney, next morning over coffee at Glass, he
says: "Australians are desperate to spice
up their sex life, so we brought in the experts
to help us design a package."
There's
no doubt the Hilton hotel, Sydney, has improved.
After two years of renovations, the hotel reopened
at the end of 2005 with a new look and attitude.
Auvity
says the hotel has a new approach and has revamped
its image to be trendy, energetic and sexy, but
it also wants to keep with tradition.
"Our
products have to match the expectations of the
Sydney people, who are stylish and sexy.
"For
example, our Provocateur package is sexy, but
it will never go below the belt," he says
in his strong French accent.
The
package, he says, will evolve and expand so couples
can keep coming back.
We
all agree, that it's a perfect evening for honeymoons,
anniversaries and celebrations.
My
husband has given a huge nod of approval to the
Hilton's effort in its romance package.
We
could try creating the atmosphere at home, but
we'd probably burn down the house, and Madame
Lash and Luke Mangan might not be available.
I think
we'll head back to the Hilton for our next wedding
anniversary in February.
IF
YOU GO:
Provocateur
package: Hilton Hotel, Sydney
Price:
From $650.
Call
(02) 9265-6045 or email: reservations.sydneyhilton.com
The
writer was a guest of the Hilton Hotel, Sydney.
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