Is 'Gulag city' of Chita about to get a Hilton hotel?

The city of 324,444 people is on the Trans-Siberian Railway and Highway, and could be a key beneficiary of stronger economic ties with China. The capital of TransBaikal region, it is also known as a place of exile for Decembrists and the centre of a prison camp network in Stalin times.

Head of Tourism Department of the Trans-Baikal region, Anton Tutov, told local newspaper 'Zabaikalsky Rabochy' that he is hopeful a Hilton hotel will appear in Chita. 

He said: 'We are currently holding talks with Hilton Worldwide on the construction of a hotel in Chita. The first stage of talks with representatives of the network has already taken place. They are ready to enter Chita. 

'Now we are discussing the options of the location of the hotel. The draft design is ready. There are several options for the location. It is known only that it will be the city centre.'

According to Anton Tutov, Chita needs to increase the number of the hotels. He hopes that with the Hilton the level of hotel business can be significantly increased.

Currently there are only two Hilton hotels in Siberia - in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk, other key stations on the Trans-Siberian Railway.