A brand new luxury hotel is set to open in Italy later this year.

And it will see the Hilton name being extended to the Bologna/San Lazzaro area.

Hilton Hotels Corporation currently operates 11 hotels in Italy with locations in Rome, Sicily, Venice, Milan, Florence and Matera.

The company is aiming to open five more Hilton family hotels by 2009, including locations in Bari, Lecce and Milan.

Expected to open in September, president of Hilton Hotels Europe Wolfgang Neumann, said the 152-room hotel will offer "quality and affordability for both corporate and leisure guests".

He added: "The addition of this new Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Bologna reaffirms our commitment to providing our world-class portfolio of quality hotels across Italy and throughout Europe."

Located in northern Italy, Bologna is famous for its Renaissance architecture and is the home of Ducati and Lamborghini, the world-famous motorbike and car producers respectively.

The town in northern Italy is home to Italy's oldest and most prestigious university, as well as the unfinished cathedral, the Basilica di San Petronio and the Museo Civico Archeologico.