Over the past two years, Hilton has seen steady growth throughout the region, particularly with its newer brands, including Tapestry Collection by Hilton and Tru by Hilton.

When Tru by Hilton launched five years ago as Hilton’s newest midscale brand, it took off as the fastest brand launch in industry history. Today, with more than 200 hotels across Canada and the U.S., the brand boasts a robust pipeline throughout the region.
“Tru by Hilton is appealing to owners as it’s value-engineered with a turnkey prototype, small development site and an efficient staffing model,” says Jeff Cury, senior director, development – Canada, at Hilton. “Tru also provides first-time hotel owners an excellent entry point to open a Hilton-branded hotel, and allows them to enjoy a more cost-effective approach to development, as the brand has prioritized growth in second, tertiary and high-transient markets that offer a lower cost to construction.”

Tapestry Collection, which debuted in 2017, marked its entry in Canada with the opening of Canvas Moncton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton in late 2019. Since then, the brand’s portfolio of unique, upscale hotels has continued to expand. Looking ahead, Tapestry Collection plans to open in Mississauga, Ont. in early 2022, in addition to several others in the brand’s Canadian pipeline.

“Tapestry Collection offers hotel owners flexibility while being backed by the reassurance of the Hilton name,” says Cury. “Given each hotel is uniquely different, owners can customize the design, concept and guest experience, allowing for a more independent look and feel, while enjoying the benefits of the Hilton commercial engine and loyalty program.”

He says operational flexibility, in turn, allows owners to control operating costs, particularly as they relate to food-and-beverage offerings.

“Owners and guests alike have also been drawn to Tapestry Collection, given many smaller cities and secondary markets do not necessarily offer a boutique concept hotel,” says Cury.  

But introducing these new brands to the Canadian market was not without its challenges.

“Hilton’s Collection Brands, often referred to as soft brands, were an entirely new market segment and concept, requiring us to educate the industry on how these brands work,” explains Cury. “While that process took some time, the industry has grown to embrace the concept of soft brands and the benefits they can offer to guests and owners. We have also seen that hotel developers, particularly in Canada, appreciate having the time to see how new brands grow and perform to ensure they are investing in brands of the future.”

According to Cury, Tapestry and Tru are both well-positioned for growth, as each of these brands uniquely fills a market segment that is currently under developed across Canada.

“On a global level, we’re looking forward to Tapestry Collection’s continued growth in the Caribbean and Latin America,” says Cury, noting the brand’s recent debut in Brazil and entry into the all-inclusive space. “Tru has grown its pipeline to nearly 270 hotels and is also expanding in the Caribbean and Latin America, with a new regional prototype and hotel developments in Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico.”

Despite the many challenges posted by the pandemic, Cury says the company’s development strategy never slowed. “We’ve remained committed to partnering with owners to expand our portfolio of brands in key markets around the world, including Canada. That said, we’ve needed to make necessary adjustments and offer greater flexibility when it comes to timing. Construction costs, financing, supply chains and labour markets are all factors that affect growth plans, and we recognize that.”

He says while Hilton is still working though these obstacles, the company is “optimistic about our future trajectory in the Canadian market and anticipate 2022 will be a strong year.”

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