Major international hoteliers continue expanding their reach within Puglia, recognizing the region’s appeal among high-end international tourism markets. The latest development is the move by Hilton Hotels Corp. to add a golf resort near Lecce, in the Salento Peninsula, to its roster of upscale Doubletree properties.

Here are excerpts from the press release by Hilton: Following the recent debut of Doubletree by Hilton Milan, Hilton Hotels Corp. will open its second Doubletree by Hilton brand in Italy with the signing of a franchise agreement with Acaya Spa to convert a 96-room golf resort near Lecce.

Doubletree by Hilton Acaya Golf Resort – Lecce, previously known as the Acaya Golf Hotel & Resort, is currently closed for refurbishment and expected to welcome its first guests under the upscale Doubletree by Hilton brand by the end of 2010.

When it reopens, the resort will offer a 150-seat restaurant, lobby bar, and meeting and banquet space. Extensive leisure facilities will include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, spa-treatment rooms and an 18-hole golf course. Over the summer months, guests will also have exclusive access to the resort’s private beach.

Doubletree by Hilton Acaya Golf Resort – Lecce will be just six miles from Lecce city center and 30 miles from Brindisi International Airport.

Hilton Hotels Corp. currently operates three Doubletree by Hilton properties in Europe, with hotels in Cambridge, England; Aberdeen, Scotland; and Milan, Italy. Four hotels are due to open by the end of 2011 in London, England; Kosice, Slovakia; and Novosibirsk and Perm, Russia. The company operates over 165 hotels in Europe, employing more than 23,000 people, and plans to add over 150 new hotels to its European portfolio during the next 10 years.