Hilton hit two milestones May 25, 2017. Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport became the first property to open in the new midscale brand. This hotel also marks Hilton’s 5,000th hotel property worldwide.
Tru by Hilton was announced in January 2016 at ALIS – Americas Lodging Investment Summit. In March 2016, the first property announced was McDonough, Georgia, a location a few miles off I-75 about 25 miles south of Atlanta.
Tru by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport opened for guests this past week. Apparently McDonough, Georgia will take second place Tru brand opening.
Loyalty Traveler – Tru by Hilton brand to debut in McDonough, Georgia for millennial mindset travelers (March 19, 2016).
What is Tru by Hilton hotel design style?
Hilton’s website lays out the Tru design in bullet points:
- Work, play games, lounge, or eat in our reimagined, large 2,880 square-foot lobby.
- Free “Top It” breakfast with 30 sweet and savory toppings to build your own healthy or indulgent morning masterpiece.
- Spread out and take care of work in semi-private, sound absorbing alcoves, or collaborate with others in lounge spaces. Also, print from anywhere in the hotel with free wireless printing.
- Relax and recharge in modern rooms designed to make every space functional, with bright, natural light from oversized windows.
- Stay connected with fast, free, Wi-Fi and easy-to-reach charging outlets in all the right places throughout the lobby and guestrooms.
- Crush anytime cravings with the Eat. & Sip. market where local, gourmet snacks and drinks — including single-serve beer and wine — are available 24/7 in the lobby1.
- Complimentary LaVazza coffee, Stash tea and hot chocolate are available in the lobby 24/7.
- Stay entertained. Surf 150 DirecTV channels on 55″ guestroom TVs. Plus, head down to the lobby to join in table and board games, or download a recommended app to play on your mobile device.
- Keep your routine with our fitness center that leverage the latest fitness trends through barre, resistance bands, free weights, cardio and flexibility gear, plus get workout ideas from our fitness center tablet.
- Get more of what matters as a Hilton Honors member. From free nights to exclusive benefits at 13 distinct hotel brands, enjoy all the rewards as a Hilton Honors member.
Hilton Honors Points.
Earn 5 Hilton Honors Base Points per every eligible US dollar spent on room rate. Most Hilton brands earn 10 points/$1.
Enjoy all the diminished rewards points earning for your Tru stays.
Tru by Hilton Takes Midscale to Higher Rates
One word I hear frequently in recent months in media is ‘optics’, referring to how a situation appears to the public.
For me, the ‘optics’ of new midscale chain hotel brands like Marriott Moxy, Radisson Red and now Tru by Hilton is a step ladder approach to market segment branding and customer loyalty by introducing a lower price point hotel brand than existing hotel brands in the chains.
Hampton Inn ranks as an Upper Midscale chain brand in STR 2017 Brand Chain Scales, a measure based on an extensive data set for average room rates actually paid for rooms each night week to week. Tru by Hilton is not ranked by STR yet, but will likely be a midscale rate brand.
I think back 15 years ago about Hampton Inn being the Hilton brand I frequented for cheap one-night hotel stays to maintain Honors Diamond elite with 25 stays in a calendar year. Those Hampton Inn hotels are quite pricey in many places these days with rates well over $100 per night. I find many competitive alternatives for affordable lodging in hotels when it comes to paying over $100 per night.
Hotel brand high average room rates keep many potential leisure guests from getting a kick start with Hilton hotel brands. The price of rooms in the USA has been on steady trajectory upward across hotel brands. Rather than dragging rates downward in a brand like Hampton, newer, more economical brands for hotel developers to build are these new products like Tru by Hilton. They provide a more affordable room rate to leisure travelers who may subsequently become involved with Hilton Honors.
Hilton’s press release states 425 Tru Hotels are in stages of development. That is ambitious growth.
Hilton executives talk of 10,000 Hilton brand hotels in another decade.
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