Hilton launches (yet another) brand – are you in the ‘youthful mindset demographic’?

Hilton announced a brand new hotel brand a couple of weeks ago – Tru.

You won’t be seeing one of these anywhere in Europe for a while, but it interesting to see where it will be positioned.

Fundamentally, hotel chains have usually equated ‘budget’ with ‘dull’.  Your average ibis or Holiday Inn Express hotel does not exactly set the pulse racing.  Interesting, modern design does not necessarily cost more than tediously boring design and there has been a move to develop brands which operate at low price points but are attractive to ‘youthful mindset demographic’ travellers.

Starwood’s Aloft brand is an example of a brand which is targetting this market, although the pricing of these hotels is more Holiday Inn than Holiday Inn Express.  I reviewed the Aloft at Excel in London here, and was impressed.  They are also in Liverpool.

Core features of Tru will include:

• a large lobby (‘The Hive’) of around 3,000 square feet with spaces for ‘lounging, working, eating and playing’
• ‘The Play Zone’, a public space with table games and TV’s
• a reception desk which also doubles as a convenience store
• free breakfast
• bedrooms with all-white beds, no desks (a chair will have a small table attached to the arm), large bathrooms, 55 inch TV, lots of plugs, no wardrobes
• fitness centre
• free wi-fi
• 150 TV channels

There are apparently over 100 development agreements signed for Tru although all are in North America so far.  I have generally been impressed with stays at Aloft and similar hotels and I think this may work out OK for Hilton.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)