Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for DKMS Gala
Could it be that Paris Hilton, socialite extraordinaire, is actually a strategic, uber-savvy businesswoman? If the reports are true, it appears that the L.A.-based blonde is making good on her family’s storied hotelier history by launching a self-branded line of luxury hotels.
You might not realize it, but, like her designer sister Nicky, the 35-year-old bombshell has actually been quietly creating an empire as a tech investor, with fragrances that have earned $1.5 billion (a sum which will surely increase with her latest effort, Gold Rush, which debuts August 1) as well as 50 self-titled worldwide boutiques that house her handbags, shoes, watches and said fragrances.
And now, she’s furthering the Hilton family name that her great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton, established by creating the Hilton Hotels and that her father, Rick Hilton, furthered with his high-end Hilton & Hyland real estate firm, with initial properties in Dubai, New York and Las Vegas—where, several years ago she helped to design the Paris Beach Club for the Century Properties’ Azure Urban Resort Residence. Her second project with the brand, the Paris Beach Club at the Azure Urban Resort Residences in Parañaque, north of Manila, recently broke ground.
Azure North, located in the Philippines, is also under construction and will have themed towers named after Hilton’s favorite beaches and seaside resorts, including: Bali, Kauai, St. Barths and Barbados. According to recent reports, the heiress has long planned on opening her own hotel line, and is currently planning developments in said cities as they’re three she frequently visits. All will have the beach theme she implemented at Azure North.
Now, says Hilton, is the time to take her seriously. As she recently told the L.A. Times, “A lot of people, when they saw The Simple Life, assumed that was who I was in real life. Now, they see me in a boardroom and how I am and what I’ve accomplished. I think I’ve proven myself…Success is something that fulfills me and makes me happy and proud.”
