Hilton HHonors - Does Hilton have too many brands?

Here is what I can think of off the top of my head:

Hilton
Hilton Garden Inn
Hampton
Hampton Suites (perhaps not its own real brand)
Homewood
Embassy
Doubletree
Doubletree Club
Scandic
Conrad

and maybe I missed a few. I understand the concept of most, but think some are over the edge like the doubletree clubs which are pretty much HGI's in my experience.

yes there are too many brands IMO as well.

In a word, no.

Could Hilton consolidate a bit? Sure.

I could see:

Conrad (Ultra High End)
Hilton (High End)
Hilton Garden Inn (Business)
Hampton Inn (Vacation)
Homewood Suites (Extended Stay)

But personally, I like the variety all of their brands offer.

Could Hilton consolidate a bit? Sure.

I could see:

Conrad (Ultra High End)
Hilton (High End)
Hilton Garden Inn (Business)
Hampton Inn (Vacation)
Homewood Suites (Extended Stay)

But personally, I like the variety all of their brands offer.


I don't know I usually try to avoid Hamptons when on vacation, they seem more basic no frills business to me.

Besides you elimated ES, one of my favorite brands.

The brands are what saves them. A lot of the smaller towns I go too only have a hampton inn. I hope they roll out more conrads like they are talking about. I would like some thing more upscale like the ritz carlton for marriott. Over I know I can always find something from hilton. The other chains do not have the depth of hotels.
Troy

Never complain when you get to choose from so many...

"Never complain when you get to choose from so many...". I couldn't have said it better.

I like the selection and didn't mean for it to sound like a complaint. I think HH is one of the best programs because I can always find a hotel meeting my criteria. I meant to suggest just keeping a smaller number of brand names and not eliminating hotels.

I think ES is the upscale extended stay and Homewood is more of a budget extended stay (though homewood is usually my 1st choice these days).

I don't really see the difference between Doubletree and Hilton (except the cookie which I keep swearing I won't eat, but usually devour within 2 minutes of checking in).

The inconsistency in Hamptons is so much that I avoid these now unless I know the specific property or have no other choice.

I'd be interested to see the criteria for each brand if it's posted anywhere.

By the way, ^ for the Homewood Miami Airport Blue Lagoon. A reasonably nice place, great staff, and an evening reception actually worth going to.

Could Hilton consolidate a bit? Sure.

I could see:

Conrad (Ultra High End)
Hilton (High End)
Hilton Garden Inn (Business)
Hampton Inn (Vacation)
Homewood Suites (Extended Stay)

But personally, I like the variety all of their brands offer.


Having only stayed at DblTree, Hilton and ES. I am still confused as how Hilton is High end. I guess I should try Conrad to be impressed? I just mis the free internet access.

I would place DT Club below HGI in terms of ... well ... upscale-ness. I suppose one could say they are just above Hamptons, though my experience with them is that they are inconsistent; some I'd place below.
Hamptons vary in the sense that some are newer/newly-renovated, but the product itself seems fairly consistent to me in terms of what to expect.
HGI has been so consistent as to be cookie-cuttered.
Doubletree and Hilton are pretty much the same product - the (warm) cookie notwithstanding as mentioned. Of all the products, those two seem seem the most interchangeable/combineable. The others all serve niches as described earlier.
I generally travel solo; thus, my ES stays have felt a bit like "overkill" in terms of needing more than one room. But, I could see where familes/business meeting folks would prefer them.
Never been to Homewood (extended niche?), Conrad (luxury niche) nor Scandic (Hampton niche for intl locales).

Not too many brands. Hilton attempts to portray various aspects of each facility and product. I wouldn't have it any other way.

The inconsistency in Hamptons is so much that I avoid these now unless I know the specific property or have no other choice. And if you think they're inconsistent now, the consolidation of blands would only increase inconsistencies across all of their brands.

from my understanding, the many brands come about because of the existance of Hilton International(the one who bought the hilton management outside teh USA and don't really manage Conrad) and Hilton Corporation(the original hilton management). They own Hilton USa and i beliebe most of teh conrads are actually under their care even though its co-owned with Hilton International.

Sounds confusing? it was to me initially...

Too many brands? :confused:

This was one of the reasons why I switched from SPG to Hilton. There is a Hilton brand in every city I travel to. ^

Last thing we need is less choices. Keep it up HH. ^

Once upon a time Hilton had Hiltons only. Not clear when the international Hilton name got sold off. Hilton some years back bought Promus (Doubletree, Hampton, I think also ES) and later Scandic. IIRC HGI and Homewood are their homegrown brands to fill other niches. Conrad's was started to have a high-end international product since Hilton USA cannot use the Hilton name.

Once upon a time Hilton had Hiltons only. Not clear when the international Hilton name got sold off. Hilton some years back bought Promus (Doubletree, Hampton, I think also ES) and later Scandic. IIRC HGI and Homewood are their homegrown brands to fill other niches. Conrad's was started to have a high-end international product since Hilton USA cannot use the Hilton name.

Homewood Suites was also owned by Promus:

http://www.nreionline.com/mag/real_estate_promus_hotel_corp/

HGI is by far my favorite Hilton brand. I know what I'm going to get, and I know I will like it. And the hot breakfast buffet (either free or a $2 upgrade as a Gold) is a plus. Add in that often they are cheaper then the Hampton Inn (PDX, for example), and how can you lose?

Since the brand overhaul, I am impressed with Hampton Inn. Yes, they're your basic room, but they now have food with the breakfast and dinner buffets (though nothing like what an HGI offers) and they all have wireless internet.

Hilton is a mixed bag. Been to fantastic ones (Anaheim, CA, for example) and okay ones (Chicago, IL).

Embassy Suites are nice, but I rarely need that kind of room. So I go for the HGI.

Very rare I hit a Doubletree (I can usually get an HGI).

Never been to a Conrad.

Been in a Homewood Suites (friend of a guest), but never stayed in one as a guest.

Perhaps what the OP was going after wasn't so much removing choices or properties, but simply streamlining how the hotels are branded. For example, the mainstream Doubletrees and the mainstream Hiltons don't seem to differ all that much. I've stayed in one Doubletree Club and it looked & felt like a HoJo with a paint job. Not sure what the purpose of the brand is.

Outside of Doubletree, however, I see the niche for all of the remaining brands. Hampton Inn is the best and most consistent rural/Interstate brand in the industry, IMHO. (You could make a case for Four Points, but Hampton is everywhere. Four Points isn't.) Homewood is a true extended stay brand; Embassy is an all-suites business hotel that can position itself for vacationers in some markets. (I like ES, but the ones I've stayed in are clearly priced for business travelers. To me, this seems to be a change from ten years ago.) HGI is a great concept: probably my favorite brand because they are all clean and consistent.

To me, the brand that needs the most work is the mainline Hiltons. There are way too many subpar Hiltons. By comparison, there are far fewer (IME) skeezy Marriotts and Westins. Perhaps Hilton should boot some of these properties out - or boot 'em down to the Doubletree brand. (Start with the MCI Airport Hilton and go from there.)

Here is what I can think of off the top of my head:

Hilton
Hilton Garden Inn
Hampton
Hampton Suites (perhaps not its own real brand)
Homewood
Embassy
Doubletree
Doubletree Club
Scandic
Conrad

and maybe I missed a few. I understand the concept of most, but think some are over the edge like the doubletree clubs which are pretty much HGI's in my experience.


Bite your tongue, omegadeal! :D Don't you guys know that we (Hilton) are trying to take over the world??? :-) Actually, it's called "Brand Segmentation" Hilton (as any good company would strive to do) wants to be able to have a brand/product for all customers in all areas. So far, the strategy is working well.

Oh, one more thing; Hilton added the Caribe line of hotels in the Caribbean a couple of years ago.

To me, the brand that needs the most work is the mainline Hiltons. There are way too many subpar Hiltons. By comparison, there are far fewer (IME) skeezy Marriotts and Westins. Perhaps Hilton should boot some of these properties out - or boot 'em down to the Doubletree brand. (Start with the MCI Airport Hilton and go from there.)

Agreed. When it comes to booking a "full service hotel", I almost always go with Marriott over Hilton, even though I am a Silver with Marriott and a Gold with Hilton. With Marriott, I know at minimum I'll get very good and probably great. With Hilton, it's anywhere from great to average. For $200+ a night, I want to be comfortable that I'll enjoy everything (staff, room, food, etc.) and I know I will be with Marriott.

I'll tell you the thing that I don't get: How many times I see a Hampton right across from an HGI...I mean directly across the street or next to each other. Seems like they are canabalizing their own business. Habe to admit, though, that those are great for hopping back and forth for stay credits.

The domestic Hilton and Doubletree brands are the most inconsistent, but their inconsistency is similar to what Starwood experiences with Sheraton and Four Points.

Doubletree has a lot of subflavors through acquisitions. For example, there is the "Doubletree Guest Suites" which are generally one brand that they purchased, and there are many Doubletrees in the western US (BOI/SMF come to mind) that are ex Red Lion. The two are pretty much at the extremes. Meanwhile, Doubletree Club serves minimal purpose with the Hampton rebranding and the emergence of HGI.

Homewood Suites are my definition of a perfect property for my particular style both for visiting clients as well as going away for the weekend. Seriously oversized rooms (not always true suites, but that's ok), a simple free breakfast, a refrigerator in the room, usually parking right at the door. I like the HGI breakfast better, but I like the rest of the HS package.

The low end of the Hamptons are improving - you can tell a lot if you can find out how old the property is. But the main thing is that they're everywhere. Try and find a Starwood in cities with 100,000-150,000 residents. But there'll almost always be a Hampton Inn there.

One incredible side effect of all these brands is just the sheer availability of Hilton properties in non-central locations in most cities. For example, count all the Starwood properties that are not within 5 miles of ORD, MDW, or downtown Chicago, but within 30 miles of ORD or downtown. Then count all the Hiltons - and even exclude the Hamptons if you want. The difference is amazing.

There are specific places where I like a particular Starwood property over Hilton's options, and enough of those that I can still make Platinum on Starwood as well as Diamond on Hilton. But if I don't know a particular city and am going to be there for more than one night, a Hilton brand is my first choice.

I like the choices available to be whereever I go.

I believe you can never have too many choices

I'll tell you the thing that I don't get: How many times I see a Hampton right across from an HGI...I mean directly across the street or next to each other. Seems like they are canabalizing their own business. Habe to admit, though, that those are great for hopping back and forth for stay credits.

I usually see this at airport locations, but then everyone has every one of their brands at such locations. I imagine HI's get the "vacation/leisure/family" crowd and the HGI aims more for the "business" crowd.

Usually the HI is cheaper, but at PDX, the HI is next to the airport and the HGI is about two miles away, so the HGI ends up being cheaper (and quieter).

My purely anecdotal experience: I avoid Hampton Inn in airport or city locations. Nearly all of my bad Hampton experiences have been in these locations.

As I mentioned before, I gravitate to Hampton before any other brand/chain for roadtrips and other rural stays. Nearly all of my best Hampton experiences have been in small to midsize towns - mainly in the Midwest but a few in the East as well.

My purely anecdotal experience: I avoid Hampton Inn in airport or city locations. Nearly all of my bad Hampton experiences have been in these locations.

As I mentioned before, I gravitate to Hampton before any other brand/chain for roadtrips and other rural stays. Nearly all of my best Hampton experiences have been in small to midsize towns - mainly in the Midwest but a few in the East as well.


Interesting ... I've stayed at 3 airport Hamptons over the past year: PVD was more like an HGI (with an HGI rate!); SLC is a remote location, but the staff were great, and my room was huge; CAE was standard Hampton - my room was rather small (think: Paris), but I arrived rather late and had booked a "run-of-the-house" rate (assuming, wrongly, as it turned out, that I would be "upgraded" as a Gold). As for "city" locations, the downtown SLC Hampton was great - I'd highly recommend it (disclaimer: I have not stayed at the much-touted Hilton).

I know the variety that exists within several Hilton family brands as it stands now .... and I like it the segmentation the way it is. Are the brands consistent? Far from it; however, less segmentation will mean more confusion.

The only brand in Hilton that I consider consistent is Embassy Suites and Conrad (to some degree). And although I cannot comment about Hampton, the rest are all over the place.

I'll tell you the thing that I don't get: How many times I see a Hampton right across from an HGI...I mean directly across the street or next to each other. Seems like they are canabalizing their own business. Habe to admit, though, that those are great for hopping back and forth for stay credits.
Not really as I won't stay Hampton yet they have me with Hilton Garden Inn
Hampton to expensive IMO for waht it is.Not enough miles per stay
Also not upscale enough. Too many properties with bad showers that are to low....I'm 6"2 Hilton Garden Inn fits the bill most of the time when I want a good bang for the buck without a 4 or 5 star property which is my usual preference.But perhaps for the hotel owners it can be a real problem at times..........

Here is what I can think of off the top of my head:

Hilton
Hilton Garden Inn
Hampton
Hampton Suites (perhaps not its own real brand)
Homewood
Embassy
Doubletree
Doubletree Club
Scandic
Conrad

and maybe I missed a few. I understand the concept of most, but think some are over the edge like the doubletree clubs which are pretty much HGI's in my experience.
I doubt the average traveler could pass the test of naming all the Hilton family of hotels.The frequency program traveler that is another story.But even then I believe quite a few would still miss a few.Hilton should really work on improving the picture by doing some point based cross branded promotions to induce more stay behavior at a wide variety of their brands to get them better etched into the frequent travelers mind.Even with years of Hilton stays under my belt I find I go to what I know has already worked in just a few of their quality brands.

Shouldn't this be in the Marriott board? :confused: ;)

I mean, Fairfield, Residence, Courtyard, SpringHill....several times 2 of them sharing a common wall....???

I definitely like the PRICE POINT tiers in HH in a big way. Hamptons are great for simple business overnights, family road trips, etc. (the refurbed ones that is).

HGI is a solid competent, consistent business property. I really like ES.

And of course the Conrad (at least Asian ones) are fantastic.

Having the levels makes it better (easier) to redeem awards.

The only brand in Hilton that I consider consistent is Embassy Suites and Conrad (to some degree)... the rest are all over the place.

HGIs are consistent to a fault. They are my favorite HH brand and usually excellent value for money.

Having all this choice is great -- what's lacking sometimes is rational pricing to match. I don't see why Hamptons are sometimes priced above HGIs, or why Homewood Suites (great product BTW) can be at $109 for a suite when the HGI down the street is $139... or why old-line, sometimes shabby Hiltons still price at 2X to 2.5X HGI rates but offer the business traveler an older property, less focused service and fewer gratis amenties.

You look at the brand lineup, though, and the one that doesn't seem to have a clear mission is Doubletree/Doubletree Club. It's like Oldsmobile at GM. If you had to vote one off the island...

I think Hilton is ok. Marriott may have gone a bit further; I can't tell what the difference between a Towneplace Suites and a SpringHill Suites is...

JW Marriott
Renaissance
Marriott
Residence Inn
Courtyard
Fairfield Inn
TownPlace Suites
Springhill Suites
Ritz Carlton
etc......

I like the choices.

You look at the brand lineup, though, and the one that doesn't seem to have a clear mission is Doubletree/Doubletree Club. It's like Oldsmobile at GM. If you had to vote one off the island...

I appreciate Doubletree for its frequent low rates, and often full breakfast for Diamonds/Golds. That said, some of these properties are dated, shabby, weird and/or sprawling. Two examples: the Doubletree Denver (a feel of abandonment) and the Doubletree Times Square (security check at the entrance: non-residents barred. Lobby is deathly quiet and absolutely nothing's happening anywhere in the hotel. A complete contrast to the joy of Times Square). Some Doubletrees are fine, like SFO.

I think Hilton is ok. Marriott may have gone a bit further; I can't tell what the difference between a Towneplace Suites and a SpringHill Suites is...

SHS is mostly studio rooms - no full kitchens and most are not actual suites. I made the mistake of booking one of these when we actually needed a suite. The hotel actually had zero true suites in the building. Other than the misleading name, the chain itself is fine - it's usually cheap ($70-90/nt.).

TPS is mostly long-stay units, some with a few studio units mixed in. Full kitchens, 1- or 2-bedrooms. Limited maid service and few onsite amenities. I've stayed in a couple of them - usually at $90-120/nt. They are good if you are on the road for a couple of weeks but don't want to spend the $150-180 that a typical Residence Inn runs.

My only complaints with Marriotts branding are (1) SHS feature no real Suites and (2) I've recently learned that Marriott uses the term "resort" as a euphemism for "we don't honor the elite benefits". :mad: The brands themselves don't overlap much like Hilton's sometimes do. Hard to find a Courtyard that is a cut above the Marriott down the street.

Just wanted to throw my hat in for another Hilton sub-brand: Hilton Suites, which is where I'm writing this in Brentwood, TN. Looks like this was another brand at one time and not a Hilton original. Suites are smaller than what you'd get at an HS, though not as nice as an ES, though the atrium layout does ring a few bells.
Suspect if they didn't already have the suite configuration in place this would be an HGI (although no free Internet access here) as the restaurant is a Great American Grill.
Decent property for $129. Sidebar: Sticker shock when you get the final bill in these parts: 17.5 percent taxes! That's something to write a country song about.

You look at the brand lineup, though, and the one that doesn't seem to have a clear mission is Doubletree/Doubletree Club. It's like Oldsmobile at GM. If you had to vote one off the island...

I wouldn't have expected a different answer. :D (I think?)

I understand the sentiments of HGI being consistent, but their price points certainly are not.

And I'd rather be at a Conrad than an HGI anyday. :cool:

The more the better - more chances to earn points.