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Chavez Not Happy With Hilton; Installs Himself At Front Desk

We’re familiar with the feeling of loving a hotel so much we’d like to move in and make it our home. And when we’re unhappy with a room or the service at a hotel we might make a complaint, leave, and remember not to return unless the situation improved. But that’s us. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has a different strategy. If he doesn’t like the hotel, he has his government take it over. (Now, why didn’t we think of that?)

Earlier this week, Chavez used a presidential decree to acquire the Hilton hotel on Margarita Island. Was he unhappy with the presidential suite? Not keen on the room service? No, as this report puts it, Chavez was unhappy with Hilton for being “cheeky.”

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Hilton Hotels / Hugo Chavez / Venezuela Hotels / → All Tags

At the Caracas Hilton: Capitalists Out, Socialists In

Some hotels are more equal than others

The Caracas Hilton is no more. The company's contract to manage the hotel expired in August, and rather than let the greedy capitalists have all the fun, President Hugo Chavez's government will take it from here.

Now known as the Alba Caracas, a government apparatchik says:

The goal is to convert the hotel into a socialist tourism business for the enjoyment of citizens.

So, uh, how long until the rates come down from the current $141 a night?

[Photo: Boston.com]

Related Stories:
· Hilton Becomes Socialist [Telegraph]
· Hilton Hotels coverage [HotelChatter]