Hilton announces innovative new hotel brand; ‘Motto by Hilton’

Hamish Kilburn
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Hilton announces the launch of Motto by Hilton, its newest affordable lifestyle brand that will empower guests by giving them the freedom to create their own experiences in the world’s most sought-after cities…

Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton, said: “Hilton prides itself on being a leader in the hospitality industry and evolving with the needs of our guests. Innovation is in our DNA, and as we embark on our 100th year as a company, we are innovating more than ever before. With Motto by Hilton, we are bringing to market something the industry has never experienced with its flexible and affordable room product, desirable locations and guest-empowered service.”

The Making of Motto

Motto by Hilton takes a fresh approach to modern travel culture. It is a micro-hotel with an urban vibe in prime global locations.

Evaluated the emerging lifestyle hostel model globally to understand the opportunity to enhance the shared room concept. But, extensive research showed that travellers who stay in hostels, in fact, do not like rooming with strangers and often book just with their friends or family. They want more from their hostel experience but are limited by current options in the market.

As it evaluated the existing market, Hilton quickly understood that what these travellers wanted was an affordable urban lifestyle brand – one that combined comfort and accessibility with travel and lifestyle trends that centred around:

  • Prime Locations: It’s about giving travellers access to the best location – being in the heart of the city and in the most popular neighbourhoods. Right neighbourhoods make a difference.
  • Authenticity: What does it mean to be “here”? Locality breeds identity, community, and ultimately, a sense of place.
  • Affordability: Competitive rates that open the doors to cities and locations that travellers didn’t think they could afford.
  • Flexibility: One size doesn’t fit all — choice is paramount. Multi-purpose spaces are growing in popularity because of the flexibility they afford.

“Following extensive market research that focused on consumers’ needs and wants, we discovered the opportunity for a brand that offers travellers a trifecta of centrally located, reasonably priced and less traditional lodging that provides a one-of-a-kind experience,” said Jon Witter, chief customer officer, Hilton. “These findings led us to create Motto by Hilton, a flexible environment that allows guests to design their stay, their way.”

Motto by Hilton – Brand Essence from Hilton Newsroom on Vimeo.

The Motto Way

  • Guest Rooms: With an average footprint of 163 square feet or 14 square meters, the highly efficient rooms will include space-saving features such as wall-beds, lofted beds, segmented shower and toilet stalls, and multi-functional furniture that can be discreetly stowed when not in use.
  • Linking Rooms: Eliminating the hassle of coordinating travel for larger groups, Motto by Hilton hotels will have the option for guests to book multiple connecting rooms in advance.
  • Split-payments: Motto by Hilton hotels will allow guests to split payments between more than one person at the time of booking, avoiding the sometimes-complicated math exercise during checkout.
  • Connected Room: All Motto by Hilton rooms will be outfitted with Hilton’s Connected Room technology – the first mobile-centric hotel offering that allows guests to control features in their room (i.e., temperature, lighting, TV, window coverings, etc.) from their Hilton Honors mobile app.
  • Curated Sleep Experience: Motto by Hilton hotels will put an emphasis on a premium sleep experience. Whether it is a premium mattress; a Sleep Kit with eye masks, essential oils or vitamin bars; a white noise app; blackout window shades; or sound absorbing materials throughout the room, Motto by Hilton is sleep-obsessed and prioritizes quality sleep for every traveller

“The launch of Motto by Hilton emphasizes our relentless commitment to creating innovative brands that meet what today’s travellers want,” said Phil Cordell, global head of new brand development, Hilton. “The unmatched flexibility of Motto offers tremendous value by empowering travellers to tailor every stay to their specific needs.”

While Motto by Hilton prices will vary by market, each property will offer competitive rates that will make it a viable option for travellers who typically stay with friends or family or seek out temporary housing options when travelling to urban markets.

Motto on the Move

This global brand will be made up of a carefully curated portfolio of hotels in the most desirable urban destinations throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Motto by Hilton hotels will be located in prime neighbourhoods, such as the 100-bed Motto by Hilton in Marylebone, London, which is being developed with the UK-based developer, Dominvs Group. Demolition on the site has commenced and construction will start in January 2019, targeting a 2020 opening as one of the first Motto by Hilton properties.

“We’ve deconstructed the traditional hospitality experience to create something truly fresh and exciting,” said Tripp McLaughlin, global head, Motto by Hilton. “This will be a global brand, heavily targeting the destinations where our connected and confident travelers want to travel to the most.”

Motto by Hilton – Virtual Flythrough from Hilton Newsroom on Vimeo.

Hamish Kilburn / 24.10.2018

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