Tru by Hilton opening 2 hotels in Puerto Rico by ’23
Tru by Hilton, the hotel chain’s midscale brand will make its Puerto Rico debut in 2023, when it will fly its flag on two hotel properties set to be built in San Juan and Arecibo, the company confirmed.
Both properties will be independently owned and operated, but the names of the developers were not disclosed, and neither was the expected investments. A Hilton spokeswoman said those details, as well as the number of jobs to be created will be revealed “closer to opening.”
The Tru by Hilton Arecibo will feature 92 rooms, while the Tru by Hilton San Juan Condado will add 77 new rooms to Puerto Rico’s inventory, the spokeswoman confirmed.
“However, it’s important to note that Hilton is actively focused on expanding its portfolio in Puerto Rico and is currently exploring a number of projects across the island,” the spokeswoman said.
“We’re continuously working with owners and developers looking to franchise a hotel business in their local markets, and Tru by Hilton offers them the incredible opportunity to form part of the Hilton portfolio at the entry point,” said Juan Corvinos, vice president of development for the Caribbean and Latin America for Hilton.
“For more than a century, Hilton has built a reputation of innovation, integrity and excellence, and the introduction of Tru by Hilton in the Caribbean and Latin America region demonstrates how we provide our development partners with the leading brands to capitalize on their vision to become hoteliers with the backing of our leading systems and customer loyalty programs,” he said.
The announcement of the future properties will push the number of Tru by Hilton hotels to 200, half of which have been added during the COVID-19 pandemic, including locations in Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Tru by Hilton was launched in 2016, developed from the ground up using owner and consumer feedback – and the brand “continues to attract owners and developers around the globe, many of whom are new to working with Hilton,” the company said in a statement.
“Tru was designed to disrupt the midscale category and offer a new type of product to appeal to owners and developers,” the company added.
Some facts associated with the chain are that, since its inception, nearly one of every four Tru hotels has been developed by an owner new to Hilton. From the beginning of 2020 through the first half of 2021, that number grew to one in three owners new to Hilton.
“Tru focuses on what matters most to guests, while offering a strong value proposition for owners. The brand continuously appeals to a new-to-Hilton partner audience and continues to solicit owner feedback as it grows,” the company stated.
The design and “turnkey” prototype that calls for a small development footprint and efficient staffing model, “provides first-time hotel owners an excellent entry point to open a Hilton-branded hotel, benefiting from the power and reputation of the world’s first hospitality company, with the scale and strength of its high-performing commercial engine and loyalty of its 115 million Hilton Honors members,” the company stated.
