Hilton leaders tease the company’s luxury hotel future, including a new brand
The Beverly Hilton may have hosted the Golden Globes on Sunday, but that's far from being the only luxurious happening taking place at a Hilton this year.
The hotel giant has a flurry of luxurious developments, openings and reopenings — welcome back, Waldorf Astoria New York ( more on that in a bit) — through the end of this year.
Further, the company is once again adding to its brand lineup, as recent earnings calls indicate Hilton is on track to announce a new luxury lifestyle brand — a term best associated these days with offerings from competitors like Marriott’s Edition, Hyatt’s Alila and IHG’s Six Senses — in the coming months.
Last year may have seemed like the year of affordability at Hilton: The company launched the premium economy brand Spark as well as Project H3, the working title for the company’s extended-stay hotel brand. But fear not, luxe hotel fans: There’s still plenty of activity at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and LXR Hotels & Resorts, which all fall at the pricier end of the Hilton brand spectrum.
The luxury pillars of the Hilton ecosystem aren't as pressured to show growth in massive numbers of new hotels like, say, Spark or Hilton Garden Inn. Luxury hotels are often passion projects that are more about perfect locations, refined service and ultimately getting it right so guests dream of booking their return as soon as they check-in.
“We're in a really strong position. I think anything that we do is now completely additive,” said Dino Michael, Hilton’s senior vice president and global head of luxury brands, in an interview with TPG at last month’s International Luxury Travel Market conference in Cannes, France. “We feel really good about where we are.”
What’s coming up this year for Hilton’s luxury hotels
Some of Hilton’s most anticipated openings of 2024 involve Waldorf Astoria, including the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, a 59-villa resort expected to open in the next couple of months. Each of the hotel’s waterfront villas includes a private pool, and the property leans into nature vibes amid its surroundings of coral reefs, forest, a lagoon and an abundance of wildlife like eagle rays, manta rays and hawksbill turtles.
Further, the company plans on reintroducing travelers to the Waldorf Astoria New York, which is expected to complete its reportedly more than $1 billion makeover later this year. The hotel, closed for renovation since 2017, is slated to reemerge on the Big Apple’s luxury hotel scene with a slimmed-down room count — albeit with modernized accommodations.
Hilton’s Conrad brand will expand to Orlando this year — a move Michael says should accelerate the brand’s appeal as a resort offering to American travelers. The brand launched overseas, and it continues to have a larger footprint outside the Americas than within — but Conrad has expanded in recent years in the U.S. with locations in Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.
LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s luxury soft brand that competes against Marriott’s The Luxury Collection, plans to open its first hotel in Hawaii next month following a conversion of what was previously the Trump International Hotel, Waikiki.
What will Hilton’s new luxury brand look like?
Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta first teased a new luxury lifestyle hotel brand in the works back in August, and chatter only intensified in the months that followed.
“I think that the white space for us is luxury lifestyle. We've talked about it a bunch. We are doing a bunch of work in the space right now,” Nassetta added on a company investor call in October before noting he felt the brand would launch sometime this year.
Industry chatter swirled around the idea this might be Hilton’s way of showing it was potentially losing out on business that migrates to brands like Edition. The lifestyle hotel trend is driven by hotels with a mix of bars and restaurants that appeal to both hotel guests and local residents.
“We will enter the luxury lifestyle space. It’s a gap,” Michael added to TPG last month in France. “A lot of owners particularly think about the next generation hotel owners, the sons and daughters of our current owners. Lifestyle is becoming a very widely used word.”
Some might wonder why LXR Hotels & Resorts can’t fill that luxury lifestyle gap for Hilton, but the idea is that not every LXR property would fit the lifestyle hotel mold.
“What we don't have is a programmatic, hard brand that takes that lifestyle sort of ethos and brings a certain element of programming that would be similar in different parts of the world,” said Feisal Jaffer, global head of LXR Hotels & Resorts. “That's what a hard brand would allow us to do.”
Hilton’s bespoke luxury future
Brand continuity around the world doesn’t necessarily mean Hilton wants to have the same look and feel at every one of its luxury hotels, whether you’re in New York City or New Delhi.
Nassetta specifically noted on the October investor call the upcoming luxury lifestyle brand would be “a very bespoke thing” where “you're not going to have thousands of these. You're not even going to have hundreds of these.”
But it appears there’s even a degree of one-off vibes and guest experience at even a more established brand like Waldorf Astoria or Conrad.
“We’re regimented in the sense that we expect certain minimums. ... Otherwise, you can't get everything you want and have the space feel as though the premium you've paid is worth it,” Michael said. “It's a market-driven approach.”
Conrad hotels might have more of a mix of contemporary or midcentury modern design, but Michael points to the food and beverage programming at these hotels as where each property begins to have a unique identity.
Celebrity chef José Andrés garnered much acclaim for designing the culinary program at the two restaurants at the Conrad Los Angeles, where TPG was wowed in 2022 with dishes like Spanish-style fried eggs and striped bass crudo.
LXR hotels naturally have a bespoke offering since the collection is meant to feel more like one-off independent hotels that just happen to be a part of Hilton.
However, design independence and autonomy are clearly a luxury trend permeating beyond just the collection brand. That means Hilton luxury hotel fans can expect something different — albeit still with refined service, per the company’s baseline standards for a luxe hotel — at each property they check in to, whether it’s a hard brand like Waldorf Astoria or a collection of hotels like LXR.
“Luxury has always had the benefit of it's never standardized, whether it's the art selection, the music program [or the] the food and beverage development [that] has been done separately,” Michael added of Hilton’s overall luxury portfolio. “We don't want the same venue in every hotel.”
Related reading:
- The award travelers guide to Hilton Honors
- How to choose the best Hilton credit card for you
- What is Hilton Honors elite status worth?
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- Which credit cards offer the most lucrative rewards for hotel stays?
- The best hotel rewards programs in the world
- Best hotel credit cards
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.