Hilton launches into the hostel market with its new Motto brand

Hilton is breaking into the hostel market, of all things, with the launch of a new brand – Motto.  And London is going to be the testing ground.

Motto “is a micro-hotel with an urban vibe in prime global locations”.

In plain English, Hilton believes that extended family groups or large groups of friends are happy to share rooms.  However, they don’t want to stay in a traditional hostel.  This is a market which the Generator chain dominates, creating hostels with private rooms and funky shared spaces.

(EDIT 2023:  Here is our review of Motto Rotterdam, the first hotel to open in Europe.)

The mock-up Motto room below explains it better.  As you can see, you have a double bedded room connecting to a living room with a pull down bed connecting to a room sleeping three, including a bunk bed.

The average room will be a super-small 14 square metres and may have bunk beds or beds which flip down from the walls.  The majority of rooms will connect so you can build the exact space you need for your group.  Interestingly, Motto rooms can be booked online using multiple credit cards in order to split the payment between friends.

The first site will be a 100-bed Motto in Marylebone, London.  Demolition of an existing building is already underway and the ho(s)tel is due to open in 2020.

It will be interesting to see how these stays are treated by Hilton Honors, as they are likely to provide a cheap way to run up additional night credit if you are chasing status.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (June 2025)

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

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th August 2025, the sign-up bonus on the Hilton Honors Plus debit card is TRIPLED to 30,000 Hilton Honors points. You will also receive Gold Elite status in Hilton Honors for as long as you hold the card. Click here for our full card review and click here to apply.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

30,000 bonus points (to 14th August), Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, 50% fee discount, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

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 The Platinum Card from American Express in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

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

and for small business owners:

• The American Express Business Gold Card (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• The American Express Business Platinum Card (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors 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.