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Hilton's Tru hotel chain aims to grab hipster, digital native travelers

Hilton's 13th brand will likely become it's biggest, claims CEO Christopher Nassetta.

January 25, 2016

Hilton Worldwide Holdings are prepping a new chain, called Tru, boasting room rates at under $100 and aimed at luring in younger, tech-smart customers.

The Tru brand is geared toward the hipster crowd, according to a Bloomberg report, with digital technology taking a prime role in both décor and room features.

Currently there are 102 franchise deals in place and another 30 to be finalized with hotels to open in Houston, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas and Portland, Oregon. The first Tru hotels are expected to be open for business by the end of 2016 and will be located outside of expensive travel cities (NY), and will eventually be found abroad.

According to Bloomberg, Tru represents Hilton’s 13th brand. The top brand, Hampton, boasts more than 200,000 rooms across 2,100 locations and is viewed as upper middle scale with rooms typically costing $100 to $150 a night, depending on location.

Tru’s color scheme will be bold, amenities include digital check-in and room keys and a lobby space, called Hive, for eating, socializing and working.

"This midscale brand is going to fill a void in Hilton’s portfolio," Michael Bellisario, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co, told Bloomberg. "The midscale segment is one of the largest segments, and it’s one that the major global brands have yet to really penetrate."

"I ultimately think this will be our biggest brand over time," Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta told USA Today.