Hilton Hotels and Resorts will add another hotel brand to its stable with the launch of the midscale ‘Tru by Hilton’ chain later this year.
With a focus on the United States and Canada, Tru by Hilton hotels carry the philosophy that “being cost conscious and having a great stay don't have to be mutually exclusive”, with rates tipped to be affordable and the properties themselves being quirky and fun.
Over 100 Tru by Hilton properties are already on the cards for major cities such as Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta, with all guests offered access to a free ‘build your own’ breakfast bar where bagels, donuts, Greek yoghurt and oatmeal await.
Hotels will also feature ‘The Hive’: a large open space for solo and group travellers alike with space for lounging, working, eating or relaxing…
… with a separate ‘Play Zone’ for table games and large-screen TVs with tiered stadium-styled seating. Guests can also watch over 150 TV channels in their rooms on impressively-sized 55-inch HDTVs.
Power points for productive business travellers are promised to be plentiful, the WiFi fast and free – enough so to support streaming services – while hotel bathrooms come with more quirky comments like “full of hot air” on the hairdryer bag and “scattered showers with 100% chance of singing” on the walls.
Tru by Hilton will adopt the Hilton HHonors loyalty program with guests able to earn and redeem points at the chain’s hotels, with other membership benefits for guests to be finalised at a later date.
Also read: Hilton Hotels launches Canopy by Hilton chain
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Seems to look like a child minding centre rather than a Hilton.
11 Nov 2013
Total posts 17
agreed. a little tacky!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 691
I'd be interested to know how this 'Tru' brand differentiates itself from Hilton's Doubletree brand, which seems to offer an identical platform?
'Scattered showers with 100% chance of singing'? No, I don't want blatant advertising over the walls in my bathroom, thanks - even if it is marginally humourous.
I'm personally becoming a bit cynical of the hotel consolidation / expand your market philosophy. These days you almost need a Masters degree to discern what brands sit in each of the Hilton / Hyatt / SPG / Marriot / Sofitel portfolios. It now seems like the 'magic' number is 10+ for each chain. And that doesn't include the likes of Wyndham, Best Western and Small Hotels luxury chains.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2014
Total posts 170
I would think Doubletree is closer to the Hilton main brand than this, although the quality of them vary.
Usually Doubletree hotels are full service offerings ... like the Doubletree Melbourne is perhaps a step down from the Hilton South Wharf, but still offers room service, proper resturant with full service buffet breakfast etc.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Jan 2013
Total posts 240
There is a lot of consolidation happening in the travel space at the moment. It’s true, most online travel agents (OTA’s) are either Priceline.com or Expedia; and most chain hotels that look like major chains belong to one of the famous five (Hyatt, Marriott/Starwood, Accor, Hilton, IHG). But how is that different from other industries?
Most cars are made by one of a handful of large companies. Most technology has either an Intel or AMD chip inside. If anything as the tourism industry has it better IMHO, as there are more top tier hotel chains and even more chains such as Mandarin Oriental, Fraser Hospitality, Mantra Group to name a few.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Feb 2015
Total posts 150
This reminds me of Starwood's 'Aloft by W Hotel' range.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
07 Dec 2014
Total posts 170
There are some markets that seem saturated by Hilton's lower end brands - Manhattan with Garden Inn and Hampton Inn comes to mind. I wonder if this is a way to provide a bit of differentiation in those markets, presumably while competing against the Starwood Aloft brand.
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