Hilton Hotels Corp. said first-quarter average daily rates across all worldwide properties and brands rose 6 percent

, including increases in most regions. European markets experienced declining daily rates but higher occupancies and revenue per available room night. Ian Carter, CEO of Hilton International Company, which was acquired by HHC in February, said stronger trends are expected for the United Kingdom, "other major financial markets like Frankfurt and Stockholm," the Middle East and Asia. Starwood Hotels & Resorts also reported strong first-quarter revenue metrics, including a 10.3 percent worldwide RevPAR increase. "Our business remains strong across all of the U.S., Latin America and Asia, and we are beginning to see parts of Europe showing some pretty impressive signs of recovery," said Starwood CEO Steven Heyer.