Boutique Design - November 2019 - 108

There's recently been a melding of design and technology and we'll continue to see more of that as
Hilton continues to develop game-changing technologies to enhance the guest experience, including
Digital Key, where Hilton Honors members can
check-in, choose and access their room using their
smartphone. Tru by Hilton has oversized lobbies
with areas to eat, play, work or lounge. The
approach to that space- and elements like our
pool tables and board games- provides a strong
opportunity for quality engagement between our
Team Members and guests.

matter most, including a mobile desk, comfortable
beds, large bathrooms with premium bath amenities and top-rate in-room entertainment.
We recently opened our 100th hotel during
Hilton's 100th and most dynamic year and along the
way, we learned a lot. When we introduced the
brand, we heard from owners and guests that we
had nearly all things right but, as with any new
product, we needed to make a few adjustments,
including adding a more flexible in-room workspace, incorporating hot items into breakfast and
updating the lobby seating. We introduced those
changes over a year ago and are happy with their
performance. Satisfaction scores for first-time
guests are strong for Tru, but what I'm really
excited about are the return guest metrics. Their
satisfaction scores are even stronger because they
know what to expect and we're hitting the mark.

WHAT ARE CUSTOMERS AND OWNERS TELLING
YOU NOW?

HOW DID YOU CARVE OUT YOUR CAREER PATH
DURING YOUR 25 YEARS WITH HILTON?

Tru by Hilton set out to fill a void in the midscale
sector for guests who don't have to compromise
between a consistent, fun experience and an
affordable price. The category disruptor was
developed by getting in the head of the guest and
owner to deliver a product that both recognize as
valuable. Every decision is grounded in research
and part of a thoughtful strategy to provide a
unique offering unlike anything in the segment.
That's how we landed on reimagined public
spaces, free breakfast and modern fitness centers,
along with smaller, efficiently designed guest
rooms that focus on the amenities that guests say

Some of the best career decisions I've made at
Hilton were lateral moves to grow my experience in
a rounded out way. Understanding that the leadership structure is a lattice versus a ladder really
helped with my career path.
In my role leading Tru by Hilton, I'm part of a
matrix organization with a team of experts in their
respective fields. It's critical to have a well-defined
vision for your brand and role, and I make sure that
vision is clearly communicated so that we are all
looking at the destination in the same way. Once I
paint the picture, my role turns to cheerleader as I
support and encourage my team to leverage their

VICE PRESIDENT & GLOBAL HEAD,
TRU BY HILTON

WHAT WILL BE 2020'S HEADLINE CHANGES FOR
HOSPITALITY DESIGN AND OPERATIONS?

108 boutiquedesign.com

NOVEMBER 2019

expertise and do what they do best to work
towards the destination.
Working for Hilton has always been an easy
choice for me because of the people and culture.
Additionally, the opportunity to explore many
different career options across on-property, brand
support, owner relations and more, all within one
company, has been amazing.
HOW IS THE DEVELOPMENT MAP CHANGING
FOR A BRAND SUCH AS TRU?

Tru provides an opportunity for current owners to
diversify their portfolio, along with a great introduction for first-time hotel owners or new-toHilton owners. The brand has done so much of the
leg work for owners and the plug and play
approach takes the guess work out of the design,
making it very prototypical and simple. Tru
provides an appealing entry point for owners to get
a foot in the door given the lower cost to build and
easy to operate design, which includes a lean
staffing model, a more efficient property to clean
and maintain and a minimal land requirement with
a scalable prototype. Developers have the option to
scale the prototype up to 130 rooms or down to 82
rooms without any significant adjustments needed
to the front or back of house spaces. In addition,
the land requirement is only 1.58 acres giving developers more flexibility in their locations and ability
to cost effectively build in virtually any market. I
recently met with owners who found Tru to be the
perfect fit for expanding their Hilton portfolio, as
the brand's footprint could be configured to fit
where others couldn't.

COURTESY OF TRU BY HILTON (STAAB, TRU BY HILTON)

TALENE STA AB

TRU BY HILTON SAVANNAH MIDTOWN

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - November 2019

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