Brandinho1

Bumping this thread with a report from my first stay from January 2021.

Key takeaways:

- felt like a far less cool Aloft
- had a hostel feel in the community area
- price point was substantially less than the attached Homewood Suites but I guess you get what you don’t pay for 😆.

Hawkeyefan

No pool and hot tub. Nuff said.

UVU Wolverine

I’m curious if this a geographical thing. Most Tru hotels seem to be new construction. The one I stayed at in AZ along with a new one being built near me (in AZ) have a pool. Then again, a lot of budget hotels have a pool too that is probably rarely used.

I don’t see why Tru would add these, apart from the local desires of travelers, when it’s supposed to be the cheaper option. If I’m budget traveling, I don’t want a pool. It seems like a large expense in real estate terms to have a pool when in theory if a Tru didn’t have one, the rate would be cheaper.

DELee

Still gotta attract families. May also be related to AAA standards.

David

andy_dangg

Sifting thru this thread and I feel like I’m in the minority...I like Tru a lot. Tru has a very consistent product. Lots of people here praise HGI for its consistency, but I’ve encountered some older/dated properties more recently—worse with Hampton. I like the decently modern design of Tru, not always the most functional, but I don’t mind the small room size. I appreciate the modern bathrooms. I’ve always had really friendly staff as well. It’s not my first choice, especially if there’s a similarly priced HGI/HI, but if it’s cheaper, I like that I can pretty much book it and not check reviews and know what to expect. I also like these have been popping up in small towns off the interstate, they’re a more reliable road trip choice than a older Hampton.

lougord99

First experience in a TRU ( In Kennesaw, Atlanta ) and probably my last. I'm to old for the fake bubbliness of the FDA and getting in at 10:00 I just wanted to get to my room. I don't take elevators in this environment for fear that someone else wants to get in with me. The FDA did not know where the stairs were and we walked around for a while before she found them. Rooms seem to have very thin walls and the amorous neighbors next door was unwelcome.

sdsearch

Not enough said. For one thing, you haven't made it clear whether you were saying that none of them were built with a pool or a hot tub, or whether you were saying they're all closed right now because of the pandemic.

A lot of hotels in certain states have closed their pools and hot tubs for the past year, and if you just call ask if they have a pool they might say "no" instead of clarifying that they have one but that it's closed until further notice.

And a lot of hotel reviews today just say "no pool" when they mean "the pool is closed".

Hawkeyefan

You know what I meant. I've looked into Tru in several locations but none had pools and def not hot tubs. For families that's a big no.
BTW we just got back from two weeks in FL. Every single pool we were at was wide open no restrictions. Felt GREAT.

CMK10

I had my first Tru stay, this one was at the Albany Airport (Tru by Hilton Albany Airport). It was similar to a previous stay at an AVID by IHG and someone upthread said it was a worse Aloft and I think that's a fair vibe.

I will say it was nice that everything was really new and it worked very well for an overnight by an airport. Breakfast was close to a Hampton and employees were friendly. The lack of points you earn is annoying but I'd definitely take it over an older Hampton.

LSEGallipot

Wrapping up my first Tru stay (Madison, WI). Typing from the tray table-cum-work desk which I've needed to oddly position diagonally in the corner between bed and HVAC unit.

Agree with upthread assessments by Brandinho1 and CMK10 : vibe feels like a low-end Aloft ("hip", trying to get you to spend less time in room and more in lobby communal space) crossed with furnishings and finishing (a little bit IKEA, a little bit "This is my first apartment and I needed to fill the rooms with stuff cheap.") that also recall Home2Suites styling. Fine for just me for single night stay, but would be tough for longer stay and/or family (or couple even, for that matter) based on lack of in-room functional space and room to maneuver.

KenTarmac

Not a fan of Tru. The rooms are to small and Tru, like Home2, awards only HALF the HHonors points of other Hilton properties.

AnnieMRItraveler

I stayed at a 'Tru' for one night by accident. I had no idea about this new concept. I was going to be at this location for a week, and having my underwear and other things just laying out in view was not acceptable. No closet, just a rod sticking out from the wall with 3 hangers. No coffee pot. No drawers. The desk was so small that yes I could put my laptop on it, but no notebook beside it. I mean minimal!!! The TV was on a very narrow table like thing. No place to put any food that I had brought in for the week. It may be fine for someone that just needs a place to crash for the night, but it was not for me. I left the next morning, bypassing any other areas I was so discombobulated by this situation!! Certainly not worth the cost of a normal hotel room. I moved over to the Hampton Inn.

bitterproffit

I'm just not seeing any at a price point that would justify the lack of features, amenities, and only the half the points. Many times they are similar to or only within $10 of the nearby Hampton or HGI.

A quick look in my area shows for a week night in November, the new Hampton at $108, the new HGI at $108, and the Tru at $105.

Going deeper into the rates, a flexible King Room with Honors discount is $3 cheaper at the Hampton than at Tru. So, I am not sure what the point is.

beachmouse

The Tru is often 10+ years newer than the Hampton, which can actually make a significant quality difference among the limited service brands and is breakfast-included, unlike the HGI.

ElmhurstNick

I have done a couple of one night stays at Tru and it's IHG knockoff avid. They are the modern indoor corridor Red Roof Inn - perfectly acceptable for a one person one night stay off of an Interstate if you can save $15 vs a Hampton or a HIX. The Tru I stayed in was outside of Huntsville in June 2021. I actually liked the common area in the evening, I ended up doing a zoom call with friends while using a headset and it was no better or worse than doing one from Starbucks.

As far as the half points, meh. I am only staying one night, so as a credit card gold we are talking maybe 800 points including the myway bonus forgone for not picking a Hampton. So essentially a 20 oz Diet Coke.