Hilton Hotels' Lifestyle Launch: The Real Story

The Internet has spawned a lot of gossip, innuendo and rumor about the hotel business. The latest piece of bad information came from various Web sites who guessed Hilton was going to launch its new lifestyle brand at the ALIS conference in San Diego this coming January. Wrong! I pretty much knew that was wrong based on recent conversations I had with Hilton executives, but because I could not get them to admit it on the record, I chose not to report it.

Now, this morning, I received an e-mail from the producers of the Berlin investment conference in March. As I suspected and Hilton execs all but admitted to me, this will be the time and place for Hilton to launch its new lifestyle brand on the evening of March 10. Perhaps they are choosing Berlin because they want to accentuate the global nature of the brand and Hilton’s general desire to fast-track its global development pipeline.

Here is what I do know about the brand: With a project name known as Global 21, it is considered a luxury lifestyle brand and should feel more accessible and homey than its competition such as W and Edition. It should work for soccer moms as well as businessmen and will probably be more in keeping with Hyatt’s Hyatt Place brand—but perhaps a bit more fun and clever, not intimidating. Edgy is not the way Hilton is choosing to go.

Global 21 will also be a conversion opportunity for owners and that is where Hilton thinks it will have an important point of difference over much of its competition. Expect Hilton to launch this brand in Berlin with a global pipeline in place, much like Marriott did when it announced Edition last January.

The launch party in Berlin looks like it will be big. “Tucked away in a Berlin landmark, guests will enter the world of the brand through an eclectic adventure enlightened with the next evolution in hospitality,” the invitation reads.

As for the ALIS conference, the rumor mill suggests this launch will be a mid-market extended-stay brand. But I am not one to spread rumors.