Embassy Suites Hotels® Helps Young Athletes Pursue Olympic Dreams With Two $25,000 Grants

Sibling U.S. Olympians in Taekwondo for Beijing and New York
School Children Kick-Off Announcement

May 20, 2008 - Today at the Build-a-Bear Workshop® on 5th Avenue in New York, Embassy Suites Hotels announced a commitment of $50,000 towards United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Olympic Opportunity Fund grants. U.S. Olympic athletes in Taekwondo - siblings, Steven, Diana and Mark Lopez - were on hand along with 60 school children from the Bronx's PS 179 School of International Cultures to announce the grants.

"As the first corporate sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee's Olympic Opportunity Fund, we jumped on this opportunity to give our guests the chance to not only support the U.S. Olympic teams of 2008, but the Olympic teams of the future," said John Lee, vice president, brand marketing and communications, Embassy Suites Hotels.

Embassy Suites' "Giving Rising Athletes New Tomorrows" (G.R.A.N.T) grants are designed to help expand U.S. Olympic and Paralympics community-based athletic programs in low socioeconomic areas. To show its Olympic spirit, the Embassy Suites brand has worked with Build-A-Bear Workshop to create an exclusive Build-A-Bear Panda. When guests book at Embassy Suites with the promotional code of "PBP" for stays between 6/1 - 9/30/08 they will receive two Build-A-Bear Workshop® limited edition pandas, plus a $5 Beary Special gift.

Dubbed "the first family" of taekwondo, the Lopez siblings are members of the Hilton Family's U.S. Olympic Team "be hospitable" U.S. Athlete Ambassadors. The group, comprised of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls aims to extend global hospitality expertise to U.S. Olympians and Paralympians offering important tips on Chinese customs, culture and etiquette in preparation for the upcoming Beijing Games. The Lopez family made sports history in 2005, by becoming the first trio of siblings to win world championships in the same sport in the same year. The trio will be the first family since 1904 to have three siblings compete for the same U.S. Olympic Team in the same sport.

"We are thrilled to have Embassy Suites Hotels play such a large role in this initiative this year," said Rick Burton, Chief Marketing Officer of the USOC. "Its great to find a company so committed to youth and help spread the Olympic spirit throughout communities across the country."

In its second year, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) grassroots national initiative -- Olympic Opportunity Fund -- plans to expand its reach. In 2007, these grants reached more than 10,000 youth, and in 2008, with the additional ESH G.R.A.N.T.s it expects to reach thousands more. Grants will be announced by June 12, 2008.

For more information on this Build-A-Bear package, please visit embassysuites.com

About Embassy Suites Hotels
Founded in 1984, Embassy Suites Hotels defines the upscale, all-suite segment and today has 190 hotels, with an additional 50 in the pipeline. With spacious two-room suites, engaging team members and an inviting atrium environment, guests are allowed to put their feet up and feel right at home. To learn more, visit www.embassysuites.com.

Embassy Suites Hotels participates in Hilton HHonors®, the only hotel rewards program that offers Points & Miles® and No Blackout Dates. HHonors members can earn both hotel points and airline miles for the same stay at more than 3,000 Hilton Family hotels worldwide. And with No Blackout Dates, as long as a standard room is available, members can confirm that room using their HHonors points.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in 74 countries and territories, including 100,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises a hotel portfolio of some of the best known and highly regarded brands, including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand Vacations®, Homewood Suites by Hilton® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection®.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. The Company currently operates more than 375 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive retail. Brands include make-your-own Major League Baseball(R) mascot in-stadium locations, Build-A-Dino(R) stores and friends 2B made(R) doll locations. In December 2007, Build-A-Bear Workshop extended its in-store interactive experience online with the launch of its virtual world at www.buildabearville.com. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $474 million in fiscal 2007. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the Company's award-winning Web sites at www.buildabear.com and www.friends2bmade.com.

About the U.S. Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. In addition to being the steward of the U.S. Olympic Movement, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.

About Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global hospitality company, with more than 3,000 hotels and 500,000 rooms in 74 countries, with more than 100,000 team members worldwide. The company owns, manages or franchises some of the best known and highly regarded hotel brands including Hilton®, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn(r), Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Garden Inn®, Hilton Grand VacationsT, Homewood Suites by Hilton(® and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection™.

Hilton Hotels Corporation is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, which will extend through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, the 2010/2012 U.S. Paralympic Team and the 2011 U.S. Pan American Team.

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to founder Conrad Hilton's philosophy that, "It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality." The company put a name to its unique brand of service that has made it the best known and most highly regarded hotel company: be hospitable®. The philosophy is shared by all brands in the Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration for its overarching message of kindness and generosity.

For more information about the company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com.