Paris Hilton


Paris Hilton, socialite, actor, singer and media queen bee

News: Party with Paris Hilton as reported in Australian media

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Paris Hilton in Sydney (Bondi Beach) - December 2006 (Credit: Fairfax)

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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


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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).

 

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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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