Hilton Announces Tru By Hilton – Yet Another New Hotel Brand

Tru by Hilton

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As hotel chains continue to strive to differentiate themselves from the competition I can’t help but wonder if all they’re really achieving is more confusion. Rather than concentrate on improving their existing brands or taking an existing brand and moulding it to appeal to the demographic they’re targeting, the default solution appears to be “let’s create a new brand!”.

In case you’re wondering what I mean let’s take a look at some of the major hotel chains:

That’s 92 different hotel brands spread out amongst just 6 hotel chains.

If you were to stay at one property, from each brand, per week it would take you from now until the week commencing 30 October 2017 to stay at all of the different brands….and I’ve only included the major chains!

I’m willing to bet that the overwhelming majority of travelers don’t know what’s supposed to differentiate one brand from the other and, the more brands the hotel chains add, the less idea the traveling public has as to their purpose.

Hyatt Regency vs Grand Hyatt, Marriott Hotel vs Renaissance Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn vs Hampton by Hilton – just how many people really know the difference between those? I’m not sure I do and I travel quite a bit!

Anyway, it seems that Hilton thinks the 12 brands it has aren’t enough so they’ve introduced a 13th (let’s hope for their sake it’s not unlucky for them).

Tru by Hilton (what a Truly terrible name – pun intended) is the latest addition to the Hilton portfolio and is described by Hilton as “a brand that is simplified, spirited and grounded in value“.

tru-by-hilton-logoFrom the press release we find out that Tru by Hilton will…..

[Fill] a massive void in the midscale category in the U.S. and Canada. Built from a belief that being cost conscious and having a great stay don’t have to be mutually exclusive, Tru by Hilton offers an experience unlike anything in its space, consistently delivered in a surprisingly affordable way.

A “massive void”?! How can there possibly be a massive void in any category of hotel when the big chains already have 92 different brands of hotel? Either the existing brands only differ in name or this latest claim is utter nonsense.

According to Hilton the “innovative features” that Tru by Hilton will bring to the market are:

  • The Hive, a first floor experience that’s more than a lobby – 2,770 square-feet of open space with unique ways for guests to engage with others or spend time alone – in one of four distinct zones for lounging, working, eating or playing.

Tru By HiltonTru by Hilton Entry

  • The Play Zone, filled with table games, a large-screen TV (featuring DIRECTV), and tiered, stadium-inspired seating.
  • A centrally located Command Center – a re-envisioned front desk – featuring a social media wall with real-time content to foster engagement among guests, and a 24/7 market offering fun snacks and refreshments, single-serve wine and beer*, healthy light meal options and sundries for purchase.

tru-by-hilton-marketTru by Hilton Market

  • A complimentary “Build Your Own” breakfast consisting of a toppings bar with 30 sweet and savory items allowing guests to customize bagels, donuts, Greek yogurt and oatmeal to satisfy their taste buds and cravings.

tru-by-hilton-breakfastTru by Hilton breakfast

  • Smart and efficiently designed guest rooms full of the things that matter most – all-white comfortable platform beds, 55″ TVs, eight-foot wide windows, access to power everywhere, and surprisingly spacious bathrooms.

tru-by-hilton-guest-roomTru by Hilton Guest Room

  • A fitness center that defines wellness trends, rather than follows them, with a concept focused on cardio, strength and flexibility.

tru-by-hilton-fitness-center

  • A technology-forward mentality featuring segment-leading complimentary Wi-Fi bandwidth allowing guests to download and stream content on their devices, plentiful power sources, and mobile check-in, room selection and Digital Key available through the Hilton HHonors mobile app.
  • A collaboration with DIRECTV, offering guests more than 150 channels, like they have at home.
  • Rooms and linens cleaned by P&G Professional’s top hospitality brands, including Tide® ProfessionalTM, Swiffer® ProfessionalTM and Febreze® ProfessionalTM to help enhance the guest experience and drive operational efficiencies.
  • A brand personality that’s full of life with a spirited culture grounded in a thoughtful, reliable and unflappable approach to guest service.

So, from what I can see:

The new Hilton brand will have large lobbies, a 24/7 shop/market, a buffet breakfast, guest rooms with wifi and big screen TVs, clean linens and colors that look like an M&M store has exploded inside the building.

How is any of that “innovative”? There’s absolutely nothing here that makes me think “wow, I don’t know anywhere else that does that”. In fact, the Hampton by Hilton that I recently stayed at had a breakfast bar that was almost exactly like the artist’s rendering for the Tru by Hilton brand.

Tru By Hilton Properties

Hilton tells us that it already has 102 hotels signed up to the Tru by Hilton brand with a further 30 in “various stages of approval in cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Portland and Nashville”.

All the properties will apparently need to be converted to the Tru brand image and there will be a few new builds on the way too. I’ve looked through the press release and the Tru by Hilton webpage but I can’t find any mention of specific properties that are already signed up….so there’s no way of knowing, at this stage, how good/bad the locations will be.

The first Tru by Hilton property is slated to open in 4Q 2016.

Bottom Line

I’m not sure what I dislike more, the PR nonsense, the fact that we now have yet another hotel brand or the colors in the artists renderings that make it look like the properties are going to be a cross between a candy store, a kids airport lounge crèche and a kindergarten.

The traveling public need a new hotel brand as badly as the East Coast needs more snow. If hotel chains would simply focus on improving what they already have rather than spending countless millions on introducing new brands every few months (Hilton introduced two new brands in 2014 alone) we’d all be a lot better off.

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