PHOTO: Included in Curio-A Collection: the historic Sam Houston Hotel (Courtesy Hilton Worldwide)
Hilton Worldwide announced its 11th brand this week, Curio - A Collection by Hilton.
The brand, which currently includes five properties, will focus on "local discovery and authentic experiences," according to the press release.
Each four-star and five-star Curio hotel was selected based on its uniqueness to its specific destination and its high level of customer service.
"They all have a unique identity and ownership is committed to preserving and protecting that unique identity and continuing to grow it," said Rob Palleschi, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. "Also, there's a commitment from property management and ownership to maintain a high level of service. And you can see that today in their TripAdvisor scores, you can see it in their ratings on Expedia and Hotels.com."
"All of those owners really celebrate that unique sense of place," he added. "Their design spoke to the area, and their restaurant products and services are designed for the customer experience in that market."
The first properties that will be included in the Curio collection include: SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino; The Sam Houston Hotel in Houston, Texas; Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, S.D.; The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, N.C.; and a soon-to-be-named hotel development in downtown Portland, Ore.
Palleschi said guests of the properties will have access to the Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, which currently includes more than 40 million members.
And guests, as usual, inspired the new brand.
"Knowing there's a growing customer base that seeks out these hotels, knowing that today we have 40 million Honors members that we want to ensure we provide hotel products wherever they may travel, that was really the genesis and the push for creating this specific brand, Curio-A Collection by Hilton," Palleschi said. "We also count our hotel owners as our customers, as well. Just like the traveling public, we want to make sure we have a product for those owners."
The owners of the initial five properties are indeed looking forward to being included in the Curio collection.
"They're very excited about it," Palleschi said. "Not only from the standpoint that they'll be able to participate in a globally recognized program, but also we're able to really drill down and target the right consumers of that 40 million. What's most important to these owners is: How do we target the right consumers that are looking for that distinct experience that have a reason to visit Houston in the dead of summer? Or have a reason to visit Rapid City. Or even the younger demographic that's going to look for something that's got a high energy, high food and beverage experience like the SLS in Las Vegas."
Palleschi said Hilton is open to managing upcoming Curio properties, but most will be franchised. All five of the initial properties will be franchised.
Palleschi joins guests and hotel owners excited about the Curio brand.
"You know, I'm really excited," he said. "It's something we've been working on and we definitely love where we've landed. We love the positive feedback we've received from the ownership community and we're really excited about the hotels that we're signing up."
Palleschi spoke glowingly about the selected properties.
"In addition to the things that they'll offer from their own property from a food and beverage experience or a design experience, these hotels historically have been really entrenched in their local communities," he said. "They're the ones that get engaged in the local art fairs, the local community events, and those types of things."
The Sam Houston Hotel, for example, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 1924, "The Sam" has strived to offer an authentic Texas experience in downtown Houston.
There's also Hotel Alex Johnson, located near the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and included on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel has been serving Rapid City since 1928. Hotel Alex Johnson will renovate its guest rooms, public areas and meeting rooms as part of a multi-million dollar renovation before joining the Curio brand next year.
The Franklin Hotel, located one block from the University of North Carolina campus, will open in late 2014.
Palleschi also highlighted SLS Las Vegas, calling the concepts and designs of sbe CEO Sam Nazarian "fantastic."
"I mean, who couldn't be excited to be associated with that, especially in Las Vegas?" he said.
The highly anticipated hotel and casino will open on Labor Day weekend following a three-year, $415 million renovation, which includes the complete redevelopment of three existing Sahara towers. It will feature more than 1,620 guest rooms and suites, 30,000 square feet of meeting space and several of sbe's dining and nightlife brands. Nazarian is working with renowned designer Philippe Starck and James Beard Foundation award-winning chef José Andrés to make the property a reality.
The hotel development in Portland, courtesy of The Widewaters Group Inc., is slated to debut under the Curio brand in late 2016.
"They've got the concept, they've got the strategy, and it's really going to be uniquely Portland-the design and everything about it. It's going to be really cool."
And just in case you missed that last part, Palleschi added with emphasis, "It's going to be really cool."
"Portland has such a great food scene, and they do such a great job celebrating that local community and that local flavor," he said. "Really, it's just an amazing city. I love it."
Given the official introduction of Curio - A Collection by Hilton and the properties that will be included under its umbrella, it's no wonder Palleschi and Hilton are excited.
"I'm kinda like a kid in a candy store playing Monopoly," Palleschi said. "It's pretty cool."
More properties under the Curio brand will be announced in the coming weeks and months, according to Palleschi.
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