Hilton Seeks to Block ITT Hotel Sale

Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corp. wants a federal court to stop ITT Corp. from selling any of its hotels or casino properties without first allowing Hilton to bid on the properties. New York-based ITT, which owns Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Sheraton hotels, has agreed to sell five properties to Dallas-based FelCor Suite Hotels Inc. and is considering selling several other major properties as part of its defense against Hilton’s hostile takeover bid. Hilton, in an amendment to an existing lawsuit filed earlier this year, asked a federal court in Las Vegas to reverse the FelCor sale, which the company said is “designed to serve the entirely illegitimate purpose of deterring Hilton and others from seeking to acquire ITT.” A spokesman for ITT described Hilton’s legal claims as “totally without merit.”